WALES

Agriculture: Compensation

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Welsh Assembly Government on policies in England and Wales on sharing the costs of outbreaks of animal diseases between the agricultural industry and the public purse.

Peter Hain: I have had discussions with ministerial colleagues at both the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Welsh Assembly Government over this issue to ensure Welsh farmers' interests are represented fully.
	Certain functions under the Animal Health Act 1981, including disease control functions were transferred to the National Assembly for Wales under the Transfer of Functions Order 2004 (SI 2004/3044).
	DEFRA have agreed to make payments on behalf of the National Assembly for Wales for animals killed and property seized due to foot and mouth disease. However, this does not extend to specific Welsh schemes to protect animal welfare or to support farmers during disease outbreaks. Such schemes remain the responsibility of the Welsh Assembly Government.

Departments: Catering

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what proportion of each type of food served in his Department in the last 12 months was of  (a) British and  (b) Welsh origin.

Peter Hain: The Wales Office does not have any in-house catering services, external caterers supply food at our events. While we ask them to supply food that is either British or Welsh in both origin and theme we do not gather information on the proportion. This could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Departments: Cost Effectiveness

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what efficiency savings his Department was required to make as part of its Spending Review 2004 (SR04) targets; what efficiency projects have been undertaken in the Department in pursuit of those targets; on what date each was initiated; and how much each was predicted to contribute to the SR04 target.

Peter Hain: The Wales Office position in relation to SR 04 is set out in chapter 5 of my 2005 departmental annual report, a copy of which is available from the Library.
	Progress since then is detailed within subsequent annual reports, which can be accessed from the Library or via our website:
	www.walesoffice.gov.uk

Departments: Disabled

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales which buildings occupied by his Department  (a) are and  (b) are not fully accessible to disabled people; and if he will make a statement.

Peter Hain: The Wales Office fully occupies one building in London and leases office space in Cardiff. Both buildings have disabled access.

Departments: Ministerial Policy Advisers

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether any of his Department's special advisers have declared a conflict of interest.

Peter Hain: Neither of the special advisers in the Wales Office have declared a conflict of interest.

Departments: Retirement

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many employees in his Department applied to continue to work beyond state retirement age in the latest year or part thereof for which figures are available; and how many of those applications were successful.

Peter Hain: The Wales Office has a few staff at retirement age. For reasons of privacy no details are given, in line with Cabinet Office guidance.

Departments: Written Questions

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many and what percentage of Questions tabled to his Department for answer on a named day received a substantive reply on the day named in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Peter Hain: The Wales Office have received 21 named day questions in the last 12 months and all have received a substantive reply on the day named.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Departments: Fish

Norman Baker: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what consideration the Refreshment Department has given to introducing a sustainable seafood procurement policy.

Nick Harvey: As stated in a previous reply of 20 February 2007,  Official Report, columns 575-6W, the Refreshment Department is committed to responsibly sourcing fish from well-managed and sustainable fisheries, and is developing firmer procurement policies in this area. The contract for the supply of fresh fish and shellfish is scheduled to be re-tendered early in the new year and assessment of the sustainable seafood sourcing and supply policies of bidders will be included among the evaluation criteria. The Sea Fish Industry Authority (Seafish) is advising the department in the development of the contract specifications relating to sustainability.

Departments: Fish

Norman Baker: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what quantity of cod from the North Sea or Eastern Baltic was procured by the Refreshment Department in 2006.

Nick Harvey: No record is kept of the country or region of origin of produce purchased by the Refreshment Department, so it is not possible to answer the question in the terms asked. However, the department's standing instructions to its nominated fish suppliers is that cod should not be sourced from stocks that are depleted and fishing levels are unsustainable. Suppliers have confirmed that no cod from the North Sea or Eastern Baltic is currently supplied to the Refreshment Department.

Departments: Fish

Norman Baker: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission which companies have contracts to supply fish to the Refreshment Department; and when those contracts will end.

Nick Harvey: The Refreshment Department currently holds contracts with three fish and shellfish suppliers: Chamberlain and Thelwell Ltd., Howes Brothers Ltd., (both operating out of Billingsgate, London) and H. Forman and Sons (London). In accordance with EU procurement regulations, these supply contracts were awarded following a competitive tender. Contracts were awarded for an initial three year period until May 2006, extended for a maximum period of two years while the contract is re-tendering in early 2008.

CHURCH COMMISSIONERS

Stipends

Michael Jabez Foster: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners what the average stipend is for  (a) male and  (b) female incumbents; and whether male and female incumbents in the same diocese receive the same stipend.

Stuart Bell: The overall average stipend for male clergy of incumbent status is £20,952; the overall average for female clergy of incumbent status is £20,878.
	Each diocese sets its own policy on the application of national recommendations.

PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMISSION

National Audit Office

Norman Baker: To ask the Chairman of the Public Accounts Commission if he will make a statement on the progress of the Commission's investigation into the National Audit Office's compliance with best corporate practice.

Alan Williams: The Commission's review is into the corporate governance of the NAO, and will take account of the need to retain the Comptroller & Auditor General's independence. The Commission announced terms of reference for the review on 11 October, and arrangements are being made for the review to be carried out. The Government announced on Thursday last its willingness to include statutory changes in the forthcoming Constitutional Reform Bill if necessary. Further details of the review will be announced shortly.

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Departments: Retirement

Andrew Selous: To ask the Leader of the House how many employees in her Office applied to continue to work beyond state retirement age in the latest year or part thereof for which figures are available; and how many of those applications were successful.

Helen Goodman: The Leader of the House of Commons Office forms part of the Cabinet Office. I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 25 October 2007 by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.

Departments: Written Questions

Mark Harper: To ask the Leader of the House how many and what percentage of questions tabled to her for answer on a named day received a substantive reply on the day named in the last 12 months.

Helen Goodman: The figures of the Leader of the House of Commons Office for the 2005-06 Session show that 100 per cent. of the 71 named day questions tabled were answered on the date specified.
	In the last 12 months (since 24 October 2006) 48 named day questions (100 per cent.) were answered on the named day.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Leader of the House when she will reply to the letter sent to her in her capacity as Lord Privy Seal dated 20 September from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Dr. Yasmin Zalzala.

Harriet Harman: My office has no record of having received my right hon. Friend's letter dated 20 September 2007. I understand that another copy is being sent and I will ensure it receives my urgent consideration.

Recess

Greg Pope: To ask the Leader of the House 
	(1)  on what basis the week commencing 11 February 2008 was chosen as the constituency recess week;
	(2)  what estimate she has made of the number of schools which have half-term breaks during the constituency recess week commencing 11 February 2008;
	(3)  what discussions she had with ministerial colleagues in the Department for Children, Schools and Families before choosing the week commencing 11 February 2008 as the constituency recess week.

Helen Goodman: School holidays are taken into account when preparing the Commons calendar as far as is possible in the absence of a standard school year. A sample of half term dates from across the UK were analysed to ensure that the calendar reflected these factors. Other time demands, including the dates of the party conference season, are also considered. No discussions have been held with ministerial colleagues in the Department for Children, Schools and Families but the calendar was subject to consultation through the usual channels.

ELECTORAL COMMISSION COMMITTEE

Minimum Voting Age

Simon Hughes: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission what consideration the Electoral Commission is giving to measures to ensure that electoral registers are kept up to date.

Peter Viggers: The Commission informs me that it issues guidance to Electoral Registration Officers on this matter, and will, in 2008, set performance standards for Electoral Registration Officers to support best practice in the delivery of electoral registration functions.

Information: British Citizens Abroad

Nigel Evans: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission what steps the Electoral Commission has taken to inform British citizens living abroad about their rights to vote in UK general elections.

Peter Viggers: The Electoral Commission informs me that it is currently running a campaign to encourage British citizens living abroad to register to vote. The campaign includes online advertising, public relations activity, a mailing to British people living overseas and the distribution of information via British embassies and high commissions.

SCOTLAND

Absent Voting

Charles Kennedy: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland why he advised DRS of a change in design in respect of ballot papers on 17 April 2007; what assessment was made at the time of the likely impact on the timescale involved for the subsequent issuing of postal ballots; what steps he took to advise returning officers of the changes and of the potential impact on the issuing of the postal ballot packs; and if he will make a statement.

David Cairns: There was no involvement by Scotland Office Ministers in any change to the design of ballot papers on 17 April 2007. The message sent to Returning Officers on 17 April by officials reported a technical point from the e-counting supplier about the system's capacity to meet the statutory requirements and to advise Returning Officers on the exercise of their legal discretion to adjust one aspect of the design feature of the ballot paper, namely the type-case to be used for candidates names.

Departments: Press

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much his Department has spent on newspapers, magazines and periodicals in each year since 1997.

David Cairns: The Scotland Office was established on 1 July 1999. The Office provides corporate services, such as the payment of invoices, to the Office of the Advocate General. Separate figures for newspapers and magazines for each Office are not recorded; and the cost of periodicals is subsumed within the overall library costs, such as the purchase of books. Expenditure by both Offices on newspapers and magazines was:
	
		
			   £ 
			 1999-2000 9,096 
			 2000-01 13,639 
			 2001-02 12,968 
			 2002-03 12,990 
			 2003-04 12,556 
			 2004-05 11,546 
			 2005-06 9,318 
			 2006-07 9,753

Departments: Public Expenditure

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland on what dates his Department breached its  (a) resource,  (b) near-cash,  (c) administration and  (d) capital budgets since 2001; what the total value of each breach was; and what the reason was for each breach.

David Cairns: The Scotland Office was established on 1 April 1999 and since that date it has not breached its resource budget, near-cash budget, administration budget or its capital budget.

Departments: Public Expenditure

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland in which financial years since 2001 his Department's outturn for its capital budget at the end of the year was less than planned at the beginning of the year; and what the  (a) value and  (b) reason for the underspend was in each case.

David Cairns: The Scotland Office and the Office of the Advocate General have had a token capital budget of £100,000 in each year since 2001 and the outturn against the budget is as follows:
	
		
			  £000 
			 2001-02 62 
			 2002-03 88 
			 2003-04 13 
			 2004-05 76 
			 2005-06 64 
			 2006-07 0 
		
	
	The underspends between 2001-02 and 2006-07 is to be used to fund capital projects planned for 2007-08.

Labour Party: Elections

David Mundell: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what procedure the right hon. Member for Paisley and Renfrewshire, South (Mr. Alexander) followed on appointment as Labour Party co-ordinator for the Scottish elections in May 2007, in relation to the Ministerial Code, with particular reference to sections  (a) 1.2(f),  (b) 7.3 and  (c) 7.4; what discussions were held with the Permanent Secretary of the Department on this matter; and if he will make a statement.

David Cairns: My right hon. Friend the Member for Paisley and Renfrewshire, South (Mr. Alexander) was not appointed as Labour Party co-ordinator for the 2007 Scottish Elections. The campaign was run by the First Minister. No conflictof interest therefore arose and, accordingly, no discussions were held with the Head of the Scotland Office.

Personnel

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many employees of his Department were classified as working in  (a) England and  (b) Scotland (i) at the last date for which figures are available and (ii) in each of the last 10 years.

David Cairns: The Scotland Office was established on 1 July 1999. The Office does not classify staff as working in England or Scotland; the Office has staff in London and Edinburgh, some of whom travel regularly between each location as business needs demand.

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

Antisocial Behaviour: Young People

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Solicitor-General what the Crown Prosecution Service's policy is on bringing prosecutions against young people for breach of anti-social behaviour contracts; and if she will make a statement.

Vera Baird: An acceptable behaviour contract is a preliminary, non-statutory intervention designed to tackle low level antisocial behaviour. Non-compliance cannot constitute a criminal offence that the Crown Prosecution Service could prosecute. The Crown Prosecution Service does not, therefore, have a policy on prosecutions against young people for breach of such contracts.

Departments: Written Questions

Mark Harper: To ask the Solicitor-General how many and what percentage of questions tabled to her Department for answer on a named day received a substantive reply on the day named in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Vera Baird: In the last 12 months 43 named day parliamentary questions were tabled to my office, 40 (93 per cent.) of which received a substantive answer on the day named.

Human Trafficking

Peter Bone: To ask the Solicitor-General what progress has been made on improving prosecution rates in cases of alleged human trafficking; and if she will make a statement.

Vera Baird: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is working to improve the number of prosecutions, and the number of offences prosecuted under the human trafficking legislation is increasing year on year. It is important to note that traffickers may not necessarily be charged with specific trafficking offences depending on the facts of the case. Together with other departments, the CPS is implementing the UK Action Plan on trafficking. This should improve the prevention, investigation, enforcement and prosecution of these cases.

Prosecutions

Dai Davies: To ask the Solicitor-General what information is collected on the number of prosecutions sought by the police that are rejected by the Crown Prosecution Service.

Vera Baird: I have been asked to respond to this question, which appears to relate both to those cases referred to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) pre-charge, in which the decision of the Service was that no further action should be taken; and post charge, to those in which a decision was taken to drop proceedings.
	Under statutory charging, the CPS is responsible for deciding whether a person should be charged with a criminal offence in all indictable only, either way and specified summary offences (which represent approximately 40 per cent. of all cases). In the remaining 60 per cent. of cases either the police retain the decision to charge, or proceedings are commenced by way of a summons.
	 Pre-charge
	CPS records show that during the year ending March 2007, the CPS took a pre-charge decision in 524,111 cases. Of these, the CPS decided that no further action should be taken in the following number of cases:
	
		
			  Pre-charge decision  Number  Percentage of all pre-charge decisions 
			 No further action-evidential grounds 169,821 32.4 
			 No further action- public interest 16,276 3.1 
		
	
	 Post charge
	Where a defendant has been charged with a criminal offence, the case is subject to continuing review by the prosecutor. This process can reveal where there is no longer sufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction, or where new information weighs against a prosecution in the public interest. In these circumstances, the CPS will decide to stop the proceedings.
	During the year ending March 2007, the CPS stopped proceedings in respect of 107,651 defendants in the magistrates' court, representing 10.8 per cent of the 998,910 cases completed in the magistrates' court; and a further 12,102 defendants in the crown court, representing 13.1 per cent. of the 92,340 cases completed in the crown court.
	The aim of statutory charging is to determine the correct charge and build an evidentially strong case from the outset. One of the major benefits of statutory charging agreed with the Police Service is a reduction in the post charge discontinuance rate.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Departments: Correspondence

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what guidance his Department follows on the maximum time taken to respond to hon. Members' correspondence; and what performance against that target was in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Shaun Woodward: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office (Edward Miliband) on 22 October 2007,  Official Report , column 45W.

Departments: Expenditure

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much was spent on travel and subsistence by officials in his Department in each financial year since 2005-06.

Shaun Woodward: The following figures represent the amount spent on travel and subsistence by Northern Ireland Office (NIO) officials in each financial year since 2005-06. These figures do not include the NIO's agencies and executive NDPBs.
	2005-06: £842,472
	2006-07: £772,947

Departments: Public Expenditure

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland in which financial years since 2001 his Department's outturn for its capital budget at the end of the year was less than planned at the beginning of the year; and what the  (a) value and  (b) reason for the underspend was in each case.

Paul Goggins: The following table illustrates the Northern Ireland Office's (NIO's) opening and final budget provisions for capital; capital outturn; capital underspends and reasons for the underspends for each financial year since 2001. These figures represent the NIO Department, its Agencies and Executive NDPBs.
	
		
			  Financial year  Opening provision (as per  P ublic  E xpenditure  O utturns White Paper)  (£ million)  Final provision (as per  P ublic  E xpenditure  O utturns White Paper)  (£ million)  Capital outturn  (£ million)  Actual capital underspend (£ million)  Reason for capital underspend 
			 2001-02 40 59 42 17 Slippages in police non-severance and criminal justice projects 
			 2002-03 60 69 53 16 Slippages in police non-severance capital projects 
			 2003-04 64 73 50 23 Slippages in policing and security, criminal justice and police non-severance capital projects 
			 2004-05 57 83 71 12 Slippages in police non-severance, PSNI, criminal justice and IT projects 
			 2005-06 66 65 55 10 Slippages in build of new Juvenile Justice Centre and new forensic science laboratory 
			 2006-07 72 85 (1)69 (1)16 Underspend with build of new Juvenile Justice centre and various other projects 
			 (1 )Provisional 
		
	
	The National Audit Office measures spending performance against plans by comparing outturns against final provision following Supplementary Estimates rather than against plans at the start of the year—as plans can change during the year for a number of reasons, such as machinery of government and classification changes. The definitive figures for final provision and provisional outturn are published each year in the "Public Expenditure Outturns White Paper". Changes to plans arising in-year are published in "Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses", as are differences between provisional and final outturns.

Fireworks

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many retailers had their registration to keep fireworks revoked under the Manufacture and Storage of Explosives Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006 in each year since the Regulations came into operation.

Shaun Woodward: There has been one registration revoked since the Regulations came into operation on 1 December 2006, occurring in October 2007.

Fireworks

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how he plans to measure the effectiveness of the Fireworks Public Safety Awareness and Enforcement Campaign launched on 8 October.

Paul Goggins: The effectiveness of the Fireworks Public Safety Awareness and Enforcement Campaign will be measured by a detailed post-campaign evaluation undertaken by my officials in conjunction with relevant devolved Departments, enforcement agencies, response services and other bodies involved in the campaign.

Homophobia: Performing Arts

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps the Police Service of Northern Ireland has taken to tackle the public availability of recordings containing lyrics liable to incite homophobic hatred.

Paul Goggins: The Police Service of Northern Ireland has not received any complaints of publicly available recordings of lyrics made to incite homophobic hatred. In the event of a complaint, a full investigation would be conducted.
	The PSNI is committed to tackling all forms of hate crime.

Northern Bank: Robbery

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many Police Service Northern Ireland personnel are working on the investigation into the Northern Bank robbery, broken down by rank.

Paul Goggins: The Police Service of Northern Ireland continues to investigate the robbery of the Northern Bank in December 2004 and the associated offences connected to that robbery. This is a detailed investigation and it remains a high priority for the service. Resources are allocated in line with the overall operational needs of the investigations currently undertaken by the police service and for this reason the number of officers tasked to any investigation can fluctuate. It would not be appropriate to comment further on the details of this policing operation at this time.

Police: Pay

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the percentage change in  (a) police officers' and  (b) prison officers' pay in Northern Ireland was in each of the last six years.

Paul Goggins: Annual percentage increases in basic pay for police officers in the Police Service for Northern Ireland and prison officers in Northern Ireland Prison Service in each of the last six years are shown in the following table.
	
		
			   Police officers  Prison officers 
			 2002 3.0 5.0 
			 2003 3.0 2.5 
			 2004 3.0 2.0 
			 2005 3.0 2.0 
			 2006 3.0 2.0 
			 2007 (1)— (2)— 
			 (1) The 2007 police pay negotiations have yet to be concluded. (2) 2.0 + 1.5 per cent. efficiency award.

Territorial Waters: Northern Ireland

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what responsibility for the eco-systems in and around the territorial waters of Northern Ireland are  (a) devolved to the Northern Ireland Executive and  (b) retained competences for the United Kingdom Government; and what the geographical boundary is of the division of responsibility between the Executive and the UK Government in respect of (i) those lochs whose waters have outlets to the sea and (ii) those lochs and other waters whose shores are shared with the Republic of Ireland.

Paul Goggins: Answering this question has proved a complex task because responsibility crosses the devolved and reserved boundaries. Unfortunately it will not be possible to provide a comprehensive answer before the end of the Parliamentary Session, so I will write to the hon. Member once all the information is available explaining the position in detail.
	I will place a copy of the letter in the Library.

Territorial Waters: Northern Ireland

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he expects to reply to question 155824, on Northern Ireland territorial waters, tabled by the hon. Member for Thurrock on 5 October for answer on 8 October.

Paul Goggins: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave today.

WOMEN AND EQUALITY

Departments: Manpower

Theresa May: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality how many civil servants work for her in her role as Minister for Women and Equality, broken down by grade; what the pay bands are for each of the grades; how many civil service posts were created at the time that the Government Equalities Office was established; what the budget is of the new Government Equalities Office; and when she will publish a business plan for the new Office.

Barbara Follett: The Government Equalities Office currently has a staff complement of 72.95 full-time equivalents.
	Excluded from this figure is a small team of nine legal advisers who work alongside the GEO and the director general who has senior oversight of the GEO alongside other responsibilities. There are also 12 staff working at the Women's National Commission.
	The breakdown of staff by grade is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  GEO  Number 
			 Director 1 
			 Deputy Director 4 
			 Grade 6 6 
			 Grade 7 14.8 
			 SEO 15 
			 HEO 16.5 
			 HEO(D) 3.65 
			 EO 5 
			 AO 4 
			 SPS 2 
			 PS 1 
		
	
	The breakdown for WNC is based on permanent civil servants post. This does not include unpaid interns.
	
		
			   Number 
			 Grade 6 1 
			 Grade 7 1 
			 SEO 1 
			 HEO 3 
			 EO 4 
			 AO 2 
		
	
	No new posts were created when the Government Equalities Office was established. The tables show the pay bands for each grade. The budget has yet to be agreed and will be laid before Parliament for approval as part of the winter supplementary estimates exercise. The Government Equalities Office will not be publishing a business plan for this financial year, but preparations are being made to develop one for 2008-09.

Departments: Marketing

Theresa May: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what the cost was of creating signs for ministerial offices displaying the Government Equality Office's name.

Barbara Follett: No costs have been incurred in the creation of signage for the Government Equality Office's name.

Departments: Marketing

Theresa May: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what the total cost was of the establishment of the Government Equalities Office; and what the costs were of  (a) relocation and  (b) rebranding (i) signs, (ii) stationery and (iii) official publications.

Barbara Follett: The Government Equalities Office was formed by staff from existing teams based in the Department for Communities and Local Government. Budget estimates for the new office will be laid before Parliament in the normal manner and will be included in the winter supplementaries.
	No relocation costs have been incurred in respect to the new Government Equalities Office. An interim logo was produced. The cost for this was £1,300. This resulted in a logo available in several formats for print and online use, as well as in Welsh. Some minimal staff time has been used in adapting computer logos to print new letter heads and new compliment slips. There has been no additional publication or signage costs.

Departments: Official Visits

David Simpson: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality on how many occasions she has visited each region in an official capacity in the last 12 months.

Barbara Follett: Since my appointment as Minister for Equality in July 2007, my official visits have been as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 East of England 1 
			 North West 1 
			 West Midlands 1 
		
	
	In my capacity as Minister for the East of England, I have visited the east of England on five occasions.

Domestic Violence: Advisory Services

Theresa May: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality how many independent domestic violence advisers were employed in each year since 1997, broken down by region; what indicators the Government use to assess their effectiveness; and what assessment she has made of their performance based on those indicators.

Barbara Follett: Every one of the 64 Specialist Domestic Violence Courts provides support to victims via an Independent Domestic Violence Advisor service (comprising at least one IDVA). As there is a wide range of work patterns across the 64 areas, we do not have precise employment numbers; we prefer to focus on ensuring delivery of a service that holistically supports individuals who are victims of domestic violence. By autumn of this year, there were 130 Government-funded graduates or students on the accredited training for Independent Domestic Violence Advisers, with a further 75 Government-funded places in the spring 2008.
	In 2006-07 the Home Office provided £1.85 million funding to support Specialist Domestic Violence Courts including Independent Domestic Violence Advisors (IDVAs). In 2007-08, the Ministry of Justice has secured £3 million to contribute towards the Independent Domestic Violence Advisors services supporting the existing 64 Specialist Domestic Violence Courts and for services outside these areas, with a commitment to ongoing funding.
	A review of the original Specialist Domestic Violence Courts, selected in 2005-06, (which will include the specific contribution of the Independent Domestic Violence Advisors) is being undertaken at the moment which will be disseminated in November. Part of this review will include a quantitative data analysis of all Specialist Domestic Violence Courts. The review will examine what success looks like for Specialist Domestic Violence Courts in terms of criminal justice and safety measures. Based on the findings of the review, local areas will be advised on how they can measure performance, but we do not plan to have any national performance indicators.
	In addition to Specialist Domestic Violence Courts, IDVAs are also integral to the success of the Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conferences. These conferences are the cornerstone of our approach to the safety of victims of domestic violence through the agreement of safety plans for identified high risk victims. Early data from those areas which have been trained in Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference are promising with significant reductions in repeat victimisation, not least due to the work of Independent Domestic Violence Advisors who often carry out over 80 per cent. of the actions agreed at the conference.

Equal Pay

Jo Swinson: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what the gender pay gap is  (a) nationally,  (b) by region and  (c) by constituency.

Barbara Follett: The gender pay gap figures are based on median full-time hourly earnings (excluding overtime) in 2006 derived from the Annual Survey of Hourly Earnings (ASHE). The data on earnings are reported by place of residence (rather than place of work).
	
		
			  (a) Nationally 
			   £ per hour  Gap (percentage) 
			   Male  Female  
			 United Kingdom 11.71 10.24 12.6 
		
	
	
		
			  (b) By region 
			   £ per hour  Gap (percentage) 
			   Male  Female  
			 England 11.93 10.36 13.2 
			 North East 10.54 8.79 16.6 
			 North West 11.14 9.77 12.3 
			 Yorkshire and The Humber 10.78 9.25 14.2 
			 East Midlands 11.05 9.44 14.6 
			 West Midlands 10.93 9.57 12.4 
			 East 12.39 10.36 16.4 
			 London 14.46 13.41 7.3 
			 South East 13.37 10.84 18.9 
			 South West 11.22 9.34 16.8 
			 Wales/Cymru 10.67 9.32 12.7 
			 Scotland 11.09 10.00 9.8 
			 Northern Ireland 10.02 9.98 0.4 
		
	
	 (c) Accurate figures for the gender pay gap by constituency are not available, because sample sizes are too small.

Equal Pay

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what recent steps the Government have taken to reduce the gender pay gap.

Barbara Follett: Closing the pay gap between men and women is a key priority for us, as I made clear in my statement to Parliament on priorities for the Ministers for Women. We see tackling the pay gap as an essential part of enabling families to have real choices about how they live their lives because the pay gap plays such a large part in the unequal division of labour in the home, preventing fathers from playing a more active role in their children's early years and preventing women from fulfilling their opportunities to work.
	To galvanise this, closing the pay gap is now one of the indicators in the new equalities public service agreement. This will help to build on other practical measures we have introduced, such as: giving the parents of young, or disabled, children and the carers of adults the right to request flexible working; since 1997, doubling the number of registered childcare places to 1.28 million; and guaranteeing all three and four-year-olds a free, 12&frac12; hours a week 38 weeks a year Government funded, early education place.

Suicide: Gender

Jo Swinson: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what research the Government has  (a) conducted,  (b) commissioned and  (c) reviewed on the gender gap in suicide rates.

Barbara Follett: The Government have not conducted or commissioned any research on the gender gap in suicide rates. However, we know that men are around three times more likely to take their own life than women and the ratio in younger men aged 15-34 is even greater. The Government commissioned an evaluation of three mental health promotion pilots targeted at young men and published a report of that evaluation, Reaching Out: Evaluation of three mental health promotion pilots to reduce suicide among young men, in 2006.

Equality and Human Rights Commission: Manpower

Theresa May: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality how many staff were employed by the  (a) Commission for Racial Equality,  (b) Disability Rights Commission and  (c) Equal Opportunities Commission prior to the establishment of the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

Barbara Follett: pursuant to the reply, 17 October 2007, Official Report, c. 1075W
	The CRE headcount was 215, the DRC headcount was 205 and the EOC headcount was 180, which gives a total of 600 staff across the three organisations.

Equality and Human Rights Commission: Marketing

Theresa May: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality how much was spent on  (a) branding,  (b) marketing and  (c) website design as part of the establishment of the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

Barbara Follett: The following amounts have been spent on the establishment of the new Equality and Human Rights Commission:
	 (a) approximately £100,000 on branding;
	 (b) approximately £65,000 on helpline materials, stationery, exhibition stands, information packs and intranet design.
	 (c) approximately £1.2 million on the website. This includes all of the technical site build; graphic user interface and specialist accessibility testing.

Gender: Health

Jo Swinson: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what research the Government has conducted into the gender gap in reported levels of subjective well-being.

Barbara Follett: The Government Equalities Office has conducted no such research.

Maternity Services: East Midlands

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Health on the ratio of births to maternity nurses in the East Midlands.

Barbara Follett: I have had no such discussions with the Secretary of State for Health.

Rape: Victim Support Schemes

Theresa May: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what representations she has received on the possible closure of rape crisis centres.

Barbara Follett: The sustainability and viability of the sexual violence voluntary sector is an issue which has been raised with the Ministers for Women and Equality both directly in correspondence and via the consultation on the priorities for the Ministers for Women, led by the Women's National Commission. According to the Women's National Commission, of a total of 235 responses received by 14 September, when the consultation closed, 13 respondents made comments about funding for the sexual violence sector, statutory and non-statutory. Since July 2007, the Government Equalities Office has received six letters which were concerned about the future of rape crisis centres.
	As already indicated in my previous answer, this is an issue which I take very seriously and which I will shortly be discussing with other Ministers.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

Transport Links

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what discussions she has had with the Department for Transport in order to ensure efficient transport links to the Olympic Stadium from across the country are in place for the 2012 Games.

Tessa Jowell: The Olympic Transport Plan (OTP) published on 23 October contains details of the national transport systems to be provided for the 2012 Games. This plan was the result of extensive consultation which included representatives from Department for Transport, and other relevant Government Departments.
	The provision of transport enhancements within London is being designed to take account of the need to move visitors efficiently from their point of arrival in the capital, be that a rail terminus or a 'park and ride' site, across London to the Olympic Park. For instance, it will take only seven minutes to travel from St. Pancras to Stratford International using the Javelin service.

Skilled Local Workers

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what steps she is taking to ensure that a sufficient supply of appropriately skilled local workers are available for the construction of the Olympic infrastructure.

Tessa Jowell: A significant amount of activity is already under way to ensure Londoners have the necessary skills to compete for jobs. This includes a construction training centre being developed in Waltham Forest and a training facility being developed on the Olympic site to provide sustainable training and employment opportunities. The Local Employment and Training Framework for host boroughs is providing for training across key sectors for 2012, including construction.

North-East Derbyshire

Natascha Engel: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what steps are being taken to ensure that North-East Derbyshire benefits from the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Tessa Jowell: A Nations and Regions Group (NRG) has been established to maximise the benefits from the Games across the UK.
	The Government have also set out five legacy promises for 2012 and will be publishing in the next few months a Legacy Action Plan outlining what national programmes we will deliver and how local people in every region can get involved.
	The East Midlands launched its 2012 strategy for consultation in March.

Olympic Contingency Fund

Bob Spink: To ask the Minister for the Olympics to which organisations the £2.7 billion Olympic contingency fund announced in March 2007 has been allocated.

Tessa Jowell: On 15 March 2007, I announced a funding provision of £9.325 billion for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, which included provision for £2.747 billion programme contingency.
	£238 million of the programme contingency is for any potential increases in the costs of policing and wider security. The use of the remaining programme contingency is subject to the approval of the Ministerial Funders' Group, who in June 2007 agreed to release £360 million of the programme contingency to the Olympic Delivery Authority.

North-West England: Support

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what support is available for local authorities in the North West of England to develop their strategies and policies for London 2012.

Tessa Jowell: The Local Government Association are supporting local authorities across the UK in the lead up to 2012 and cultural agencies in the North West are assisting the development of their strategies and projects to help broker partnerships with other authorities and schemes.
	Local authorities are also fully engaged across the region through representation on the North West Steering Group for the 2012 Games.

Citizens' Juries

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the total cost of running the citizens' juries since June, broken down where possible by  (a) market research company payments,  (b) other outsourced services,  (c) venue and catering expenses,  (d) payments to participants for (i) attendance and (ii) transportation,  (e) analysis and presentation of results and  (f) other costs;
	(2)  what the total cost has been of each citizens jury held to date.

Edward Miliband: The Cabinet Office held a day long deliberative forum on the draft legislative programme. This was delivered by IPSOS Mori, after a competitive exercise run by COI. The estimated cost is £52,575 which is broken down as follows:
	
		
			   £ 
			 Project Development and Management 4,850 
			 Fieldwork (including recruitment and moderation) 17,480 
			 Analysis and reporting 4,200 
			 Venue Hire (22 Whitehall) Free 
			 Travel, Accommodation and other expenses 15,700 
			 IML Voting Handsets (hire) 4,500 
			 Miscellaneous (printing, stationery) 1,250 
			 COI Research Costs 2,000 
			 Ecovert Catering Costs 2,163.70 
			 Courier costs (because of postal strike) 550

Civil Servants: Pay

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 
	(1)  whether regional pay for England outside London is to be introduced across all departments;
	(2)  what protocols have been agreed to protect the terms and conditions of civil servants who transfer between Whitehall departments following the introduction of regional pay in England outside London.

Gillian Merron: Departments have delegated authority to determine pay arrangements for their own staff below the Senior Civil Service (SCS) that best meet their own business needs. Under the delegated arrangements, it is for individual departments and agencies to determine what levels of pay are appropriate to recruit, retain and motivate their own staff, taking into account local labour markets where relevant. Where staff are required to transfer between civil service organisations, it is for the departments and agencies involved to ensure that there is no overall detriment to individuals' terms and conditions.
	For the SCS, which is managed centrally, departments and agencies have flexibility to differentiate pay between London and National regions. There are no plans to introduce more regionalised pay structures for the SCS.

Civil Servants: Pay

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many separate negotiating bodies for pay, terms and conditions there are in the Civil Service; and how many there were in 2001.

Gillian Merron: Departments have delegated authority to determine pay and conditions arrangements for their own staff below the Senior Civil Service (SCS) that best meet their own business needs. Under the delegated arrangements, there are 89 civil service departments and agencies that negotiate pay and conditions for their own staff as part of the wider management of human resource functions in their organisations. Such negotiations take place within the parameters set by the Treasury in its annual pay remit guidance and pay policy for the wider public sector. There are no central records for 2001. Pay for the Senior Civil Service is not delegated to departments (recommendations to the Government are made by the Senior Salaries Review Body).

Civil Service: Codes of Practice

Norman Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he expects to publish the updated Directory of Civil Service Guidance.

Edward Miliband: The Directory of Civil Service Guidance is being revised. A new version will be published before the end of the year.

Departmental Coordination

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what projects the Strategy Unit has begun since 1 July.

Edward Miliband: The Strategy Unit's work programme falls into two broad parts:
	(a) standing teams covering core policy areas including education; health; home affairs; and public service improvement; and
	(b) a small number of time-limited projects covering cross-cutting issues such as childhood and food policy.

Departmental Responsibilities: Publications

Keith Vaz: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the average time taken to publish the Ministerial Responsibilities Book has been since its first publication.

Edward Miliband: This information is not held.

Departmental Responsibilities: Publications

Keith Vaz: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the cost was to publish the Ministerial Responsibilities Book in each of the last five years.

Edward Miliband: The "List of Ministerial Responsibilities" is produced in-house and the costs are not separately identified.

Departments: Department of Health

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when the Department of Health was last represented on his Department's Delivery Council.

Gillian Merron: The Department of Health was last represented at the Delivery Council meeting on 27 February 2007.

Departments: Expenditure

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much 10 Downing street spent on  (a) cosmetics and  (b) make-up artists for media appearances, in (i) 2006-07 and (ii) since the Prime Minister took up office.

Gillian Merron: 10 Downing street did not incur any expenditure on cosmetics and make up artists for media appearances, in (i) 2006-07 and (ii) since Prime Minister Brown took up office.

Departments: Manpower

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many staff are  (a) employed,  (b) were employed in April 2007 and  (c) are expected to be employed in December 2007 in the Strategy Unit.

Edward Miliband: At the end of December 2006 the Strategy Unit employed 50.74 FTE(1) members of staff. At the end of April 2007 42.8 FTE were employed and currently 43.4 FTE are employed.
	(1) Full-time equivalent.

Departments: Ministerial Policy Advisers

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the name is of each special adviser in his Department.

Edward Miliband: The annual list of special adviser names will be published shortly.

Departments: Public Appointments

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will place in the Library copies of his Department's guidance on appointments to the Delivery Council.

Gillian Merron: Appointments to the Delivery Council are made on a case by case basis in discussion with the relevant Permanent Secretary or equivalent. The Public Service Reform page on the Cabinet Office website:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/publicservicereform/delivery_council.aspx
	offers general advice on the remit and role of members. However, there is no formal guidance on appointments to the Delivery Council.

Departments: Public Appointments

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster who the members are of his Department's  (a) Delivery and  (b) Contact Council; and on what date each was appointed.

Gillian Merron: The following are the latest members of the Delivery Council. Except where indicated appointments date from the first meeting of the group on 29 June 2006:
	Sir David Varney, Prime Minister's Adviser on Service Transformation (Chair)
	Paul Gray, HMRC
	Andrew Burchell, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	Natalie Ceeney, The National Archives (25 October 2006)
	Janet Callender, Tameside BC and Chair, GovConnect
	Alexis Cleveland, Cabinet Office
	Paul Coen, Local Government Association
	Stephen Crowne, British Educational Communications and Technology Agency
	Jim Drummond, Department for International Development
	Helen Edwards, National Offender Management Service
	Margaret Edwards, Yorkshire and the Humber Strategic Health Authority
	David Harker, Citizens Advice
	Stephen Hickey, Department for Transport
	John Kingman, Her Majesty's Treasury
	Peter Housden, Communities and Local Government (1 October 2007)
	John Suffolk, Government Chief Information Officer
	Ralph Tabberer, Department for Children, Schools and Families
	Chris Thompson, Department of Finance and Personnel, Northern Ireland
	Sir Ron De Witt, HM Court Service
	John Mayhead, Chair—Customer Insight Forum (27 February 2007)
	James Hall, Identity and Passport Service (21 May 2007)
	Stephen Holt, Department for Work and Pensions (1 October 2007)
	Terry Moran, The Pension Service (1 October 2007)
	Ian Law, Chair—Contact Council (1 October 2007)
	Hilary Douglas, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (21 May 2007)
	Andrew Stott, Cabinet Office
	Alan Hughes, Advisory Member
	Ursula Brennan, Advisory Member
	The following are members of the Contact Council. Except where indicated appointments date from the first meeting of the group on 8 March 2007:
	Ian Law (Chair), Cabinet Office
	Commander Simon Foy, Metropolitan Police (6 August 2007)
	Dr. Martin Herbert, Student Loan Company (9 October 2007)
	Bernard Quinn, NHS Direct
	John Sills, Ministry of Justice
	Martin Wyn Griffith, DBERR (6 August 2007)
	Mike Sadler, NHS Direct
	Nick Lodge, HMRC
	Ian Broom, DVLA (6 August 2007)
	Tim Rainey, Local Government (6 August 2007)
	Anna Brocklehurst, DCSF (9 October 2007)
	Hannah Saunders, Home Office
	Isabelle Bignall, Local Government (9 October 2007)
	Val Gibson, DWP—JobcentrePlus (9 October 2007)

Departments: Public Expenditure

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster on what dates his Department breached its  (a) resource,  (b) near-cash,  (c) administration and  (d) capital budgets since 2001; what the value of each breach was; and what the reason was for each breach.

Gillian Merron: The Cabinet Office breached its resource budget in financial year 2002-03.
	The Cabinet Office has not breached its near cash budget, administration budget, nor capital budget on any occasion during the financial years ended since 2001.
	On 31 March 2003, Net Resource Requirement totalled £2.4 million in excess of the amount authorised and this was after obtaining HM Treasury approval for virement to apply the underspends falling within Departmental Expenditure Limit (DEL) to reduce the overspends within Annually Managed Expenditure (AME).
	Within AME, there arose unbudgeted expenditure of £4.5 million arising from the fall in value of information technology assets.
	Following consultation with the National Audit Office, the Cabinet Office concluded the values of software assets used by Transformational Government (formerly e-Envoy) in the development of websites for the Government Gateway and the Knowledge Network were overstated.

Departments: Public Participation

Theresa May: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 
	(1)  how many citizens' juries were arranged for  (a) his Department and  (b) his Department's agencies in each year since 1997; which organisations were commissioned to conduct each citizens' jury; and what the cost was of each;
	(2)  how many citizens' juries have been arranged by the Cabinet Office since June; which organisations were commissioned to conduct each citizens' jury; and what the estimated cost is of each exercise.

Edward Miliband: The Cabinet Office held a day long deliberative forum attended by the Leader of the House on 20 October 2007 on the draft legislative programme. This was delivered by IPSOS Mori, after a competitive exercise run by COI. The estimated cost is £52,575.
	Deliberative fora were also used as part of the Policy Review process. I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Fareham (Mr. Hoban) on 9 July 2007,  Official Report, column 1259W.
	Data from 1997 are not readily available and would require a significant review of all engagement activities and analysis of the techniques used, extracting data at a disproportionate cost.

Departments: Public Relations

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what his Department's budget is for media, press and public affairs training for 2007-08.

Gillian Merron: The Cabinet Office has no specific budget for media, press and public affairs training, which is funded from units' general training budgets, and it is not possible to distinguish.

Departments: Publications

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will place in the Library copies of the  (a) agenda and  (b) minutes of the last four meetings of his Department's (i) Delivery and (ii) Contact Council.

Gillian Merron: As part of the development of the Service Transformation Agreement these groups have been responsible for discussing the challenges and opportunities associated with transformation so that advice is given to departmental Ministers.
	These groups give advice to Ministers. It is not normal practice to disclose details of such meetings.

Departments: Resignations

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many staff left the  (a) Strategy and  (b) Delivery Unit in each month since March, broken down by pay band.

Edward Miliband: The number of staff leaving the Strategy Unit and Delivery Unit in each month since March 2007 is shown in the following tables. It would not be normal practice to publish further information relating to such small numbers in order to protect the confidentiality of individuals.
	
		
			  Strategy Unit 
			  Month (2007)  Number of staff (FTE)( 1) 
			 March 4 
			 April 2 
			 May 1 
			 June 2 
			 July 4 
			 August 4 
			 September 1.5 
			 October 1.5 
		
	
	
		
			  Delivery Unit 
			  Month (2007)  Number of staff (FTE)( 1) 
			 March — 
			 April — 
			 May 1 
			 June 5 
			 July 2 
			 August 3 
			 September 4 
			 October 6 
			 (1) Full-time equivalents.

Departments: Secondment

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many staff from HM Treasury have been seconded to the Strategy Unit since June, broken down by pay band; and how many such staff are expected to be seconded to his Strategy Unit in the next six months.

Edward Miliband: In order to protect the confidentiality of individuals, it is standard Government practice not to publish records relating to five or less individuals.

Departments: Security

Norman Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster on how many occasions since 2002 attempts were made to gain unauthorised access to  (a) computers and  (b) buildings in his Department; and of those how many were successful.

Gillian Merron: Since 2002, there have been four recorded attempts to gain unauthorised access to computers in my Department, all of which were successful external hacking. There have been seven recorded attempts to gain unauthorised access to buildings, five of which resulted in unauthorised access.
	The Cabinet Office regularly reviews its security processes and procedures to minimise risks to its staff and assets. All breaches are investigated fully and any additional measures required as a consequence are swiftly implemented.

Departments: Written Questions

Mark Harper: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many and what percentage of Questions tabled to his Department for answer on a named day received a substantive reply on the day named in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Edward Miliband: The Cabinet Office received 81 named day questions in the last 12 months. Of these 81 per cent. were answered on the day specified.

National Security: Scotland

David Mundell: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what role he expects the devolved administration in Scotland to play in relation to the Government's National Security Strategy and National Security Committee.

Edward Miliband: Members of the devolved administrations, not being UK Government Ministers, are not members of UK Cabinet Committees and are therefore not usually invited to attend.

Olympic Games: Greater London

Don Foster: To ask the Minister for the Olympics pursuant to the answer of 25 June 2007,  Official Report, column 50W, on Olympic Games: Greater London and the subsequent announcement of Adidas as official sponsor and sportswear supplier of the 2012 Olympic Games, what obligations are contained within the terms of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG)'s contracts with suppliers and licensees, in particular Adidas, to ensure that they monitor, enforce and report on compliance with the standards of the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) Base Code; what steps will be taken to ensure compliance with the living wage provision of the ETI base code; and how LOCOG plans to work with the Play Fair Alliance and ETI in the future.

Tessa Jowell: The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) is committed to promoting ethical principles consistent with the Olympic Charter. LOCOG is making the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) Base Code (which includes a living wage provision) a condition for suppliers (and licensees) where applicable, and is going through a process of ensuring it is applied to all appropriate contracts.
	LOCOG is in the process of developing a Sustainable Sourcing Code which sets out expectations of suppliers and licensees and its approach to managing its supply chain, through programmes such as the Suppliers Ethical Data Exchange (SEDEX). Adidas has signed up to the full provisions of LOCOG's sustainability requirements.
	Adidas joined the Fair Labor Association in the US in 1999, and were included in the FTSE4Good Index—which indicates it has met stringent social, ethical and environmental criteria.
	Further details of its social and environmental programme can be found on their website.
	London 2012 is working with several leading organisations in this field. ETI and the PlayFair Alliance are already part of this process and will continue to be so.

Olympic Games: Greater London

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Minister for the Olympics how much in 2007-08 prices the Government spent on the Olympics in each year since the UK bid was successful.

Tessa Jowell: The DCMS Resource Accounts for 2006-07 (HC 847) show the following expenditure on the Olympics: £39.7 million in 2005-06, and £99.9 million in 2006-07. Additionally, the Government Olympic Executive, part of the DCMS, cost £1.4 million in 2005-06 and £3.1 million in 2006-07. This information is not reported at 2007-08 prices.

Olympic Games: Greater London

Mark Hoban: To ask the Minister for the Olympics pursuant to the answer of 3 September 2007,  Official Report, column 1593W, on the Olympic Games: Greater London, whether  (a) KPMG and  (b) officials in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport made updates to financial estimates of the cost of the Olympics.

Tessa Jowell: KPMG were commissioned in October 2005, to provide advice on the cost of the Olympic Games. That advice was provided on an ongoing basis; and involved KPMG presenting information in the form of oral presentations and updates to financial estimates. This work was overseen by the cost review group which included officials from the Department.

Olympic Games: Greater London

Lorely Burt: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what steps she has taken to ensure that there is competitive tendering for Olympic contracts.

Tessa Jowell: As a public body the Olympic Delivery Authority is fully committed to ensuring competitive tendering for contracts in compliance with UK and EU procurement law.
	The ODA's Procurement Policy, launched in March 2007, states it will:
	"encourage competition, locally, nationally and internationally through actively promoting tendering opportunities, to promote as wide and as vigorous a competition as can be achieved."

Olympic Games: Greater London

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Minister for the Olympics if she will bring forward proposals to include celebrations of Her Majesty's Diamond Jubilee as part of the Olympic Games in 2012.

Tessa Jowell: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Romford (Andrew Rosindell).

PRIME MINISTER

Departments: Fish

Norman Baker: To ask the Prime Minister 
	(1)  which companies have contracts to supply his Office with fish; and when those contracts will end;
	(2)  what consideration his Office has given to introducing sustainable seafood procurement policy;
	(3)  what quantity of cod from the North Sea or Eastern Baltic was procured by his Office in 2006.

Gordon Brown: My office supports the public sector food procurement initiative. Information on the quantity of cod procured is not held.

Departments: Ministerial Policy Advisers

Mark Hoban: To ask the Prime Minister whether any of his Department's special advisers have declared a conflict of interest.

Gordon Brown: Special advisers are appointed under the terms and conditions set out in the Model Contract and Code of Conduct for Special Advisers, copies of which are in the Library of the House.

Departments: Ministerial Policy Advisers

Richard Spring: To ask the Prime Minister 
	(1)  whether Spencer Livermore holds a position remunerated from the public purse; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  whether Michael Jacobs holds a position remunerated from the public purse; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  whether Stewart Wood holds a position remunerated by the public purse; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  whether Gavin Kelly holds a position remunerated by the public purse; and if he will make a statement;
	(5)  how much the chair of the Council of Economic Advisers is paid; whether Dan Corry holds a position remunerated by the public purse other than in relation to the Council of Economic Advisers; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Harper: To ask the Prime Minister if he will place in the Library a list of special advisers to Ministers.

Mark Hoban: To ask the Prime Minister 
	(1)  for what reason the publishing of the annual list of special advisers was delayed;
	(2)  what the  (a) job title,  (b) salary and  (c) number of staff assigned to Joe Irvin is;
	(3)  what the name is of each special adviser in his Office.

Gordon Brown: A list of Special Advisers will be published in due course.

Departments: Public Expenditure

Mark Hoban: To ask the Prime Minister on what dates his Department breached its  (a) resource,  (b) near-cash,  (c) administration and  (d) capital budgets since 2001; what the total value of each breach was; and what the reason was for each breach.

Gordon Brown: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by the Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office, my hon. Friend the Member for Lincoln (Gillian Merron) today.

Departments: Public Participation

Theresa May: To ask the Prime Minister 
	(1)  how many citizens' juries have been arranged by his Office since June 2007; which organisations were commissioned to conduct each citizens' jury; and what the estimated cost is of each exercise;
	(2)  how many citizens' juries were arranged for  (a) his Department and  (b) his Department's agencies in each year since 1997; which organisations were commissioned to conduct each citizens' jury; and what the cost was of each.

Gordon Brown: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by the Member for Doncaster, North my right hon. Friend (Edward Miliband) the Minister for the Cabinet Office today.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Julian Lewis: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to the answer of 15 October 2007,  Official Report, column 820W, on Iraq: peacekeeping operations, at which of his regular meetings with the Secretary of State for Defence he informed him of his decision to announce troop withdrawal from Iraq.

Gordon Brown: I have nothing further to add to the answer I gave the hon. Member on 15 October 2007,  Official Report, column 820W.

Manpower: Prime Minister's Office

Mark Hoban: To ask the Prime Minister how many speech-writers his Office employs.

Gordon Brown: Speechwriting is co-ordinated by one of my private secretaries.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

BBC Licence Fee

John Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent discussions he has had with the BBC on the licence fee settlement.

James Purnell: None. The settlement was announced on 18 January this year. It is a fair and realistic settlement that will allow the BBC to secure the effective promotion of its public purposes, as set out in the Charter and Agreement.

Sport England

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many young athletes in  (a) England and  (b) Macclesfield constituency have received financial support from Sport England in the last 12 months.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Sport England does not provide any direct financial support to individual athletes. Its primary role is to increase participation in sport through Exchequer and Lottery funding in programmes and projects around the country.
	UK Sport, the Government's lead agency for elite sport, provides financial support to our most talented athletes through its World Class Pathway Programme. There are currently 361 athletes under 21 in England receiving funding through this programme, one of whom lives in Macclesfield.
	In addition, talented athletes in higher and further education can also apply for an award from the Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme—also known as TASS—which is managed by UK Sport.
	There are currently 752 athletes under 21 being funded through TASS, again one of whom lives in Macclesfield.

Public Service Broadcasting

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent discussions he has had with the Director General of the BBC on the BBC's public service broadcasting responsibilities.

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent discussions he has had with the BBC Trust on the BBC's public service obligations; and if he will make a statement.

James Purnell: None. The BBC's public service broadcasting responsibilities are set out in the Charter and Agreement. It is the responsibility of the BBC Trust to secure the effective promotion of the BBC's Public Purposes.

Digital Switchover

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the digital switchover programme in Whitehaven.

James Purnell: My Department—along with Ofcom, Digital UK and the Help Scheme—will be assessing the switchover process in Whitehaven to see if there are any lessons for other areas. Early indications are that the process has been well managed.

Folk Dance and Song

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps the Government are taking to promote England's traditional folk dance and song.

Margaret Hodge: Levels of financial support for music and dance through Arts Council England are now at their highest ever, with the music sector receiving over £100 million and the dance sector over £35 million during 2007-08.
	Support for English folk dance and song continues to be a part of this investment with Arts Council England funding a number of organisations who promote and develop these art forms.

Heritage Funding

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will make a statement on trends in the level of heritage funding over the last five years.

Margaret Hodge: Heritage funding by the Government has risen from £182.5 million in 2003-04 to £205.2 million in 2007-08. This is a 1.7 per cent. increase in real terms. A breakdown of these figures will be placed in the Library.
	This excludes funding from other Government sources which may also benefit heritage.
	Lottery grants have fallen from £333.9 million in 2002-03 to £310.9 million, a real terms decrease of 16.0 per cent. However, this figure has fluctuated during this period (with a maximum in 2004-05 of £363 million). The average was £328.74 million.

Children's Sport

Sally Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what progress is being made in increasing children's participation in sport.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Through the joint DCSF and DCMS National School Sport Strategy the Government are revitalising PE and sport for young people.
	The 2006-07 School Sport Survey showed that 86 per cent. of pupils in maintained schools in England participate in at least two hours of high quality Physical Education and school sport each week, an increase of 6 percentage points on last year and exceeding the 2008 target of 85 per cent. a year early.
	Both Departments continue to work closely to develop the plans to offer children and young people, aged 5 to 16 years, five hours of sport a week and three hours for young people aged 16-19 years from April 2008.

National Heritage

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what measures he plans to introduce to preserve national heritage.

Margaret Hodge: The White Paper, Heritage Protection for the 21(st) Century, published in March, set out our proposals for reforming the heritage protection system to ensure we continue to preserve our national heritage. Legislation is required to enact these proposals and we are aiming to publish a draft bill for pre-legislative scrutiny in the Third Session.

Big Lottery Fund: Wirral, South

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of trends in the value of funding provided by the Big Lottery Fund in Wirral, South in the last five years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The nature of awards made under the Big Lottery Fund means that the amount awarded to individual constituencies can fluctuate markedly from year-to-year. The Big Lottery Fund would be happy to meet my hon. Friend or his constituents to identify ways of generating more successful applications from Wirral, South.

Intellectual Property Rights

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps he is taking to protect intellectual property rights; and if he will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: Policy responsibility for intellectual property rests with the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills. We recognise the importance of a strong and balanced IP system and my Department is working closely with DIUS and stakeholders across Whitehall on a range of issues in relation to intellectual property, including those arising in the development of our Creative Economy Programme and the implementation of the Cowers Review's recommendations.

Anti-Semitism

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many officials from his Department have attended meetings of the cross-departmental working group on tackling anti-Semitism.

Gerry Sutcliffe: My Department contributed fully to consideration of the recommendations of the All-Party Inquiry into Anti-Semitism, including attendance by one official at one of the two meetings of the officials' working group convened to consider the Government's response, which was published on 29 March 2007 (Cm 7059).

Bookmakers

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans he has to review the allocation and ownership of pitch positions for on course bookmakers.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Government have no plans to undertake such a review. The system for allocating pitch list positions is a private matter for racecourses and on-course bookmakers to agree between themselves. The Racecourse Association has indicated that the present pitch lists will be recognised until 2012. Racecourses and bookmakers therefore have five years to negotiate new arrangements, and my Department is playing an active role in facilitating negotiations. The present Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee inquiry into this issue is also allowing all interested parties an opportunity to explain their positions.

British Waterways Board: Finance

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions he has had with  (a) the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and  (b) British Waterways on (i) the National Waterways Museum entry fees and (ii) the funding of the Waterways Trust and National Waterways Museum; and if he will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has had no discussions to date with either my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs or British Waterways on these issues.
	My Department will however, be working closely with DEFRA on those elements of the recent Select Committee inquiry on British Waterways which have a bearing on the operations of the National Waterways Museums.

British Waterways Board: Finance

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what grants  (a) his Department,  (b) the National Lottery and  (c) other public bodies for which his Department is responsible provided to British Waterways in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: The information requested is as follows:
	 (a) My Department has not paid any grants to British Waterways
	 (b) 35 grants with a total award value of £103,310,000 have been awarded by Lottery distributors where the project title or recipient is recorded on the Department's Lottery Grants Database as "British Waterways". The Database is searchable at www.lottery.culture.gov.uk and uses information supplied by the Lottery distributors.
	 (c) Information on grants paid by the non-departmental public bodies for which my Department is responsible is not held centrally.

Culture: Marketing

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many regional creative programmers have been appointed.

Margaret Hodge: Eight regional creative programmers have been appointed, one for each of the English regions outside of London. London is looking to put in place a framework for developing the Cultural Olympiad on a city-wide basis.

Departments: Assets

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what departmental assets are planned to be sold in each financial year from 2007-08 to 2010-11; what the  (a) description and  (b) book value of each such asset is; and what the expected revenue from each such sale is.

Margaret Hodge: The Department intends to dispose of one asset in financial year 2007-08. This is described on our asset register as "land to the north of the British Library, Camden, London". It has a net book value of £26.6 million. Anticipated receipts are commercially sensitive. No further asset disposals are planned in financial years 2008-09 to 2010-11.

Departments: Assets

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what departmental budget items have been reclassified, under consolidated budgeting guidance, following Comprehensive Spending Review 2007 decisions; and what the  (a) former and  (b) new (i) classification and (ii) sum budgeted is in each case.

Margaret Hodge: The Department had no budget classification changes following CSR 07.

Departments: Correspondence

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what guidance his Department follows on the maximum time taken to respond to hon. Members' correspondence; and what performance against that target was in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Cabinet Office publishes guidance for Departments on handling correspondence from Members of Parliament, Members of the House of Lords, MEPs, and Members of devolved Assemblies. Copies are available in the Libraries of the House and it is also available on the Cabinet Office Website at:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/upload/assets/www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/propriety_and_ethics/correspondence.pdf
	The Cabinet Office also publishes, on an annual basis, a report on Departments' and agencies performance on handling Members' and Peers' correspondence. This includes the target set by each department to reply to hon. Members, the number of letters received and the percentage of replies within target. The last report for 2006 was published by the then Minister for the Cabinet Office my right hon. Friend the Member for North-West Durham (Hilary Armstrong) on 28 March 2007,  Official Report, columns 101-04WS.
	DCMS takes replies to correspondence very seriously. For the period 1 January 2007 to 30 June 2007, 80.46 per cent. of MPs' and Peers' letters requiring a response were answered to target dates of 20 working days, although we answer more quickly than this wherever possible. In addition, 91 per cent. of our responses to members of the public (6,141 of 6,710 cases) were answered within 20 working days for the same time period.

Departments: Disabled People

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which buildings occupied by his Department  (a) are and  (b) are not fully accessible to disabled people; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport occupies three buildings Cockspur Street, Oceanic House and Queen's Yard. All three buildings are fully accessible to disabled people.

Departments: Internet

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many websites his Department operates; how many it operated at 1 January 2005; and what the estimated annual cost has been of running his Department's websites in the last five years.

Margaret Hodge: My Department currently operates 15 websites. On 1 January 2005 it operated eight. In common with other Government Departments, we are involved in rationalising our websites. So far we have closed one site with another scheduled to close on 1 November 2007.
	Annual costs summary for the last five years are as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
			  DCMS  Start-up costs  Maintenance costs  Total 
			 2002-03 39,950.00 51,000.00 90,950.00 
			 2003-04 5,020.00 62,000.00 67,020.00 
			 2004-05 19,520.00 43,412.06 62,932.00 
			 2005-06 11,357.50 48,000.00 59,357.50 
			 2006-07 20.00 35,993.78 36,013.78 
		
	
	More statistical information about DCMS websites is provided in the National Audit Office publication "Government on the internet: progress in delivering information and services online" (http://www.nao. org.uk/publications/nao_reports/06-07/0607529.pdf) pp 19,20,24.
	Site details of websites 2002-07 are as follows:
	
		
			  Website  URL  Status at 1 September 2007 
			 Agora(1) www.agora.culture.gov.uk Closed 
			 BBC Charter Review www.bbccharterreview.org.uk/ Closing date 1 November 2007 
			 Better Public Buildings(2) www.betterpublicbuildings.gov.uk Transferred 
			 Break Out www.culture.gov.uk/breakout/fl/index.htm Live 
			 Casino Advisory Panel www.culture.gov.uk/cap/ Live 
			 Communications Act 2003 www.communicationsact.gov.uk/ Live 
			 Communications Bill www.communicationsbill.gov.uk Closed 
			 Creative Economy Programme www.cep.culture.gov.uk/ Live 
			 Culture Online(3) www.cultureonline.gov.uk/ Live 
			 Department for Culture, Media and Sport (main site) www.culture.gov.uk Live 
			 Digital Television www.digitaltelevision.gov.uk Live 
			 Flying the Union Flag www.culture.gov.uk/flagflying/default.htm Live 
			 Golden Jubilee(4) www.goldenjubilee.gov.uk Closed 
			 Government Art Collection www.gac.culture.gov.uk/home/index.asp Live 
			 Lottery 2009 shares consultation www.lottery2009.culture.gov.uk/ Live 
			 Mobility of Collections www.culture.gov.uk/mobility/ Live 
			 Royal Parks Agency www.royalparks.gov.uk/ Transferred 
			 UK World Heritage site www.ukworldheritage.org.uk/ Live 
			 Where We Live www.wherewelive.org.uk/ Live 
			 (1) Agora website closed in August 2007.  (2) Better Public Building was transferred to CABE in August 2003. (3) Culture Online became self-managing in 2003 and was transferred back to DCMS in 2007. (4) Costs of the Golden Jubilee website were met by the Home Office and later transferred to DCMS.

Departments: Ministerial Policy Advisers

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether any of his Department's special advisers have declared a conflict of interest.

Margaret Hodge: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State on 25 October 2007,  Official Report, column 484W.

Departments: Overseas Workers

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many of his Department's staff are based overseas on an  (a) temporary and  (b) permanent basis; if he will list their locations; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has no staff based overseas on  (a) a temporary basis or  (b) a permanent basis.

Departments: Public Expenditure

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on what dates his Department breached its  (a) resource,  (b) near-cash,  (c) administration and  (d) capital budget since 2001; what the value of each breach was; and what the reason was for each breach.

Margaret Hodge: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has not breached any of the budgets in question since 2001.

Departments: Public Expenditure

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport in which financial years since 2001 his Department's outturn for its capital budget at the end of the year was less than planned at the beginning of the year; and what the  (a) value and  (b) reason for the under spend was in each case.

Margaret Hodge: The National Audit Office measures spending performance against plans by comparing outturns against final provision following Supplementary Estimates—rather than against plans at the start of the year—as plans can change during the year for a number of reasons, such as machinery of government and classification changes. The definitive figures for final provision and provisional outturn are published each year in the Public Expenditure Outturns White Paper. Changes to plans arising in-year are published in Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses, as are differences between provisional and final outturns.
	In 2001-02 the Capital outturn for DCMS was £48 million less than planned expenditure. The under spend was due in the most part to the slow start to the Capital Modernisation Fund project "Spaces for Sport and Art". The unspent funds were drawn down in subsequent years and the project was successfully completed in 2004-05.

Departments: Public Participation

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many citizens' juries have been arranged by his Department since June 2007; which organisations were commissioned to conduct each citizens' jury; and what the estimated cost is of each exercise.

Margaret Hodge: My Department has not arranged any citizens' juries since June 2007.

Departments: Retirement

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many employees in  (a) his Department and  (b) each executive agency funded by his Department applied to continue to work beyond state retirement age in the latest year or part thereof for which figures are available; and how many of those applications were successful.

Gerry Sutcliffe: All permanent staff in the Department for Culture; Media and Sport (DCMS) and The Royal Parks Agency (RPA) may continue to work up to the normal departmental/agency retirement age of 65, subject to the general health, efficiency and attendance standards. In the current year only one employee in DCMS has applied to defer retirement and continue to work beyond the departmental retirement age. The application was successful. No employees in RPA have applied to defer their retirement.

Departments: Standards

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what public service agreement targets have been set for  (a) his Department,  (b) its agencies and  (c) non-departmental public bodies for which his Department has responsibility since May 1997; and whether each target has been met.

Margaret Hodge: Public service agreements (PSAs) apply only to Government Departments. The Department published its first set of PSAs in December 1998 and agreed a measurement methodology in March 1999. Since then we have agreed new PSAs with HM Treasury as part of each subsequent spending review (SR). We publicly report progress against these targets in our departmental annual report (DAR) and autumn performance report (APR) each year, copies of which can be found in the House Library. A full list of our PSAs and their outcomes is given as follows:
	
		
			  SR period  No.  Indicative title  Outcome 
			 1998 1 Promote creative industries Met 
			 1998 2 Promote tourism Met 
			 1998 3 Develop broadcasting regulatory system Met 
			 1998 4 Promote broadcasting Met 
			 1998 5 Ensure quality of public service broadcasting Met 
			 1998 6 Implement a film strategy Met 
			 1998 7 Increase visitors to national museums Met 
			 1998 8 Increase access to performing arts Met 
			 1998 9 Raise standards of care of collections Met 
			 1998 10 Increase involvement of priority groups Met 
			 1998 11 Maintain standards and diversity in broadcasting Met 
			 1998 12 Increase arts education sessions Met 
			 1998 13 Ensure 75 per cent. of libraries have internet Met 
			 1998 14 NDPB funding conditional on improvements Met 
			 1998 15 Review national museums and galleries Met 
			 1998 16 Establish new funding bodies Met 
			 1998 17 Establish UK Film Council Met 
			 1998 18 Transfer responsibilities to English Heritage Partially met 
			 1998 19 Establish National Lottery Commission Met 
			 1998 20 Develop strategic plans for Lottery funding Met 
			 1998 21 Devolve decision making to regions Met 
			 2000 1 All public libraries have internet access Met 
			 2000 2 Introduce 12 Creative Partnerships Met 
			 2000 3 Raise time spent on sport by children Not met 
			 2000 4 Increase child visits to museums and galleries Met 
			 2000 5 Increase arts participation Met 
			 2000 6 Conduct review of NDPBs Met 
			 2002 1 Increase school sport Met 
			 2002 2 Increase cultural and sport opportunities Partially met 
			 2002 3 Increase productivity Ongoing 
			 2002 4 Improve value for money NDPBs Met 
			 2004 1 Increase school sport Ongoing 
			 2004 2 Halt increase in obesity Ongoing 
			 2004 3 Increase cultural and sporting opportunities Ongoing 
			 2004 4 Improve productivity Ongoing 
		
	
	Further details of each PSA can be found in the relevant DAR or APR.

English Heritage: Finance

Daniel Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what contribution English Heritage was projected to make to departmental savings as part of the Lyons Review; and what proportion of those savings have been realised.

Margaret Hodge: English Heritage projected that 255 posts would be moved from London and the South East. To date 61 have moved from London. English Heritage are planning further moves to buildings in Swindon after refurbishment work to the buildings is completed by summer 2008.

English Heritage: Greater London

Daniel Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what consideration English Heritage has given to the use of London office space available through the Office of Government Commerce.

Margaret Hodge: In choosing where to relocate its permanent headquarters from Savile Row, English Heritage considered nine Office of Government Commerce buildings. The building it chose, 1 Waterhouse Square, was one of these.

English Heritage: Greater London

Daniel Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what projections were made of the number of staff of English Heritage who would move to 1 Waterhouse Square, London.

Margaret Hodge: English Heritage planned for 71 members of staff to relocate to 1, Waterhouse Square, London by June 2006, and for this figure to increase to 245 by March 2007.
	By March 2007 254 staff were located in Waterhouse Square. Waterhouse Square is also being used for an interim period to support the phased relocation of staff to Swindon. This means that numbers will fluctuate as the project proceeds.

Gaming Machines

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans he has to review the number of category B3 machines permitted in adult amusement centres.

Gerry Sutcliffe: From 1 September 2007 adult gaming centres were, for the first time, entitled to a maximum of four category B3 machines. B3 gaming machines have a maximum stake of £1 and a maximum prize of £500.
	There are no plans to review the number of category B3 machines that adult gaming centres can make available.

Licensed Premises: Offenders

Helen Southworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what measures are in place to prevent licensed premises being directly owned by  (a) persons who have criminal convictions that would prevent them from holding an alcohol licence and  (b) companies who have such a person as a director or company secretary.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 25 October 2007
	There are no rules relating to the ownership of licensed premises but the decision to grant the premises licence lies with the licensing authority.
	The Licensing Act (Section 17) sets out the application process for the granting of premises licences at which time the responsible authorities, including the police, have the opportunity to examine the application and object if they think there will be an impact on any of the four licensing objectives (including to the prevention of crime and disorder). Similarly, the Act (Section 42) sets how a premises licence can be transferred and the police have the right of objection to a transfer on grounds of crime prevention. Objections by the police can be against a person or a company.

Licensed Premises: Sales

Helen Southworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what disclosures are required by the owners of a licensed premises who are offering premises for sale on  (a) incidents of a criminal nature recorded,  (b) requirements placed on the premises or on current or previous licensees of the premises by (i) the licensing body and (ii) the courts,  (c) reviews of the licence for the premises and  (d) removal of licensees and transferral of licences for the premises.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 25 October 2007
	There is no requirement under the Licensing Act 2003 for owners to disclose this information when their premises are offered for sale.
	However, the buyer has the right as does any member of the public, to look at the local licensing authority register to check what actions may have been taken in respect of the licence and they may undertake other checks as part of the conveyancing process.

Local Broadcasting: Television

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent discussions he has had with broadcasters on regional television news broadcasting.

James Purnell: I discussed ITV's proposals for changes in regional news provision with its Executive Chairman, Michael Grade, when I met him last month. I understand that these proposals, which require Ofcom's permission, will be considered by Ofcom as part of its broader review of public service television broadcasting which is currently under way.

Museums and Galleries: Finance

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what funding he has allocated to the Renaissance in the Regions programme; and if he will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: We will continue to invest in our regional museums and galleries over the next three years, with an inflation-proof settlement which will mean that funding for the Renaissance in the Regions programme will increase from £45 million this year, to over £48.7 million in 2010-11. Government will have invested £292 million to support regional museums between 2002 and 2011.
	
		
			   Total (£ million) 
			 2002-03 10 
			 2003-04 11.2 
			 2004-05 21 
			 2005-06 30 
			 2006-07 32 
			 2007-08 45 
			 2008-09 46.2 
			 2009-10 47.4 
			 2010-11 48.7

National Lottery: Greater London

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much was spent on National Lottery tickets in London in the last year for which figures are available; what revenue for the National Lottery Distribution Fund such spending gave rise to; how much was distributed to good causes and projects in London in the same period; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The national lottery operator, Camelot, do not collect ticket sales information on a constituency, district, county or regional basis, nor do they routinely collect ticket sales data based on postcodes. The most up-to-date sales data by postcode area are available in the Libraries of both Houses and provide information up to 2004. It is not, therefore possible to say how much was raised for good causes by lottery sales in London. However, we do have information on how much was awarded by lottery distributors to the region of London.
	2,258 grants with a total value of £115,464,000 have been awarded by lottery distributors in London, in the last complete financial year (2006-07). These figures are for grants that are recorded on the Department's lottery grants database as location specific. The database is searchable at www.lottery.culture.gov.uk and uses information supplied by the lottery distributors.

Olympic Games: Greater London

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 14 June 2007,  Official Report, column 1177W, on Olympic Games: Greater London, how many private partners have so far committed to funding the UK-wide cultural festival as part of the Cultural Olympiad; how much funding these private partners have so far committed to provide; and how much funding he expects to receive from private partners.

Margaret Hodge: This is a matter for the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG). LOCOG are discussing with their official partners a range of opportunities to contribute to the Cultural Olympiad. LOCOG will aim to maximise the funding available for the Cultural Olympiad but will also encourage partnerships with a wide range of public sector arts and cultural funding bodies.

Radio: Grants

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what grants are available from his Department for local community radio stations to apply for.

James Purnell: My Department does not make grants directly to community radio stations, but provides some funding to Ofcom to enable it to make such grants under section 359 of the Communications Act 2003. Grants totalling £1.577 million have been made to community radio stations since February 2006.

Regional Cultural Consortiums

Edward Vaizey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much his Department spent on regional cultural consortiums in each year since their formation.

Margaret Hodge: My Department's spend on the Regional Cultural Consortiums in each year since their formation is as follows:
	
		
			   Spend (£) 
			 1999-2000(1) 11,063 
			 2000-01 239,301 
			 2001-02 195,248 
			 2002-03 840,185 
			 2003-04 1,569,539 
			 2004-05 1,674,000 
			 2005-06 1,841,000 
			 2006-07 1,720,000 
			 (1) The Regional Cultural Consortiums were established in October 1999.

Sports: Schools

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what percentage of children attending  (a) schools in a School Sport Partnership,  (b) schools not in a School Sport Partnership and  (c) all schools participate in at least two hours of school sport each week.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 25 October 2007
	 All maintained schools in England are now in one of 450 School Sport Partnerships.
	The 2006-07 School Sport Survey showed that 86 per cent. of pupils in partnership schools participate in at least two hours of high quality physical education and school sport each week.

Sports: Schools

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many of the 225 competition managers announced on 13 July 2007 have been appointed.

Gerry Sutcliffe: 75 competition managers have now been appointed. A further 16 competition managers are currently being recruited, which will bring the total to 91 by April 2008.
	Recruitment of a final wave of competition managers to bring the number to at least 225 will begin from January 2008.

Stonehenge

Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what progress has been made on the English Heritage Stonehenge Visitors Centre project; and if he will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: Planning consent was granted for the Stonehenge Visitor Centre in March 2007, subject to conditions, one of which is that improvements to the A303 go ahead, as set out in the published Stonehenge Improvement Order 2000.
	The Government are currently considering the findings of the A303 review of options and progress on the visitor centre rests on the outcome of this review.
	The Government's intention is to make an announcement very soon.

Television: Licensing

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will make a statement on the BBC licence fee settlement.

James Purnell: The settlement is fair and realistic. It will allow the BBC to secure the effective promotion of its Public Purposes, as set out in the Charter and Agreement.

Theatre: East Midlands

Dennis Skinner: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much public funding was made available to theatre companies in the East Midlands in each year between 1998 and 2006.

Margaret Hodge: The following figures provide a breakdown of Arts Council England grant in aid for regularly funded theatre organisations in the East Midlands between 1999 and 2006.
	
		
			  Regularly funded organisations East Midlands 
			  £ 
			 1999-2000 2,353,160 
			 2000-01 2,681,025 
			 2001-02 2,729,995 
			 2002-03 3,431,850 
			 2003-04 4,354,645 
			 2004-05 4,592,663 
			 2005-06 4,665,105 
			 2006-07 4,710,405 
		
	
	Figures prior to 1999 are not held in electronic form and would have to be sourced from paper records that are held in archive. For this reason it is not possible for Arts Council England to provide figures for 1998 in time for the deadline.
	The following figures provide a breakdown of lottery money allocated to theatre companies in the East Midlands between 1997-98 and 2006-07.
	
		
			  Lottery grants East Midlands 
			  £ 
			 1997-98 2,280,736 
			 1998-99 343,538 
			 1999-2000 149,817 
			 2000-01 1,770,033 
			 2001-02 636,211 
			 2002-03 195,191 
			 2003-04 1,607,699 
			 2004-05 12,928,315 
			 2005-06 1,033,633 
			 2006-07 595,069 
		
	
	The following figures show the total funding made available to theatre companies in the East Midlands, excluding any grant in aid in 1997-98 and 1998-99.
	
		
			  Total public funding East Midlands 
			  £ 
			 1997-98 2,280,736 
			 1998-99 343,538 
			 1999-2000 2,502,977 
			 2000-01 4,451,058 
			 2001-02 3,366,206 
			 2002-03 3,627,041 
			 2003-04 5,962,344 
			 2004-05 17,520,978 
			 2005-06 5,698,738 
			 2006-07 5,305,474

Tourism

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate his Department has made of the average percentage change in the productivity of  (a) the creative industries and  (b) the tourism industry in each year since 1998.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 25 October 2007
	 The table shows the annual and average percentage productivity changes from 1998 onwards for both the creative and tourism and leisure industries. For comparison reasons information on 'All Services' and 'Whole Economy' are also included.
	
		
			  Annual and average percentage productivity changes from 1998 onwards 
			  Percentage 
			   Sector 
			   Creative industries (excl. design and craft)  Tourism-related and other leisure  All services  Whole economy 
			 1999 3.3 3.0 1.2 1.6 
			 2000 3.5 4.1 2.7 2.9 
			 2001 -3.1 3.2 1.7 1.5 
			 2002 -0.9 3.3 0.9 1.0 
			 2003 1.5 -0.1 1.2 1.8 
			 2004 6.8 1.9 2.3 2.5 
			 2005 6.4 0.4 1.6 1.1 
			 Average 1998-2005 2.9 2.6 1.9 2.1 
			  Source: Estimates based on the Annual Business Inquiry (ABI), Office for National Statistics 
		
	
	Further explanation of this trend is provided in the DCMS annual report 2007, copies of which are available in the Library of the House, though figures for 2004 and 2005 may now differ due to more recent revisions of source data.
	"Tourism and leisure" is presented as a combined sector to smooth out potential volatility in the series caused by fluctuations in levels of gross value added (GVA) or employment in any one particular industry. Combining these two small sectors allows better understanding of the overall trends.

Tourism

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many tourists visited the UK in 2006; what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the effect of tourism in that year on the UK economy; and if he will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: In 2006 there were an estimated 32 million visits to the UK by overseas residents, in addition to the 126.3 million overnight trips within the UK taken by UK residents. The latest information available on tourism day trips estimated that 870 million were taken in 2005 by English residents within England.
	No calculations have yet been made on the overall contribution of the tourism industry to the UK economy in 2006. However, estimates from earlier years suggest that the contribution will be in the region of 3.5 per cent. of UK gross value added (GVA).
	My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and I work to ensure that the importance of tourism is made clear across the Government, and DCMS has regular discussions with HM Treasury on the tourism industry.

Tourism: Finance

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what funds were provided for the promotion of Great Britain as a tourist destination abroad in the last year for which figures are available; and how much was provided in each year since 1997.

Margaret Hodge: Since 2002-03, DCMS has funded the overseas promotion of Great Britain through VisitBritain. Up to 2001-02, funding for that purpose was made available to the British Tourist Authority.
	VisitBritain's overseas marketing budget for 2006-07 was £35.5 million. Previous years' allocations were as follows:
	
		
			   Amount (£ million) 
			  The British Tourist Authority  
			 1997-98 35.0 
			 1998-99 35.0 
			 1999-2000 36.0 
			 2000-01 37.0 
			 2001-02 35.5 
			   
			  VisitBritain  
			 2002-03 35.5 
			 2003-04 35.5 
			 2004-05 35.5 
			 2005-06 35.5 
		
	
	A further £19 million was made available to the British Tourist Authority in 2001-02, as funding for the Million Visitor Campaign following the foot and mouth crisis and 9/11.
	The regional development agencies and local authorities also invest substantial amounts in supporting the tourist industry, and this includes elements of overseas promotion. In 2006-07, the agencies spent £43.5 million on tourism support, and local authorities an estimated £120 million.

Travel Information

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many tourist information centres there are; and how many there were in 1997.

Margaret Hodge: There are currently around 500 tourist information centres in England. Unfortunately, the data were not collected for 1997.

Video Games: Children

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what policies his Department implemented as a result of the recommendations made in  (a) the 2001 Home Office review of the effect of computer games on young children and  (b) the 2005 Stirling review of research on the impact of violent computer games on young people.

Margaret Hodge: Both of these reports found no conclusive evidence of a link between playing violent games and behaving violently in real life. Both reports confirmed therefore that the current regulatory regime is satisfactory. However, following concerns expressed by some people, we worked with the games industry on a package of measures designed to ensure that parents had sufficient knowledge about a game's contents so that they could make an informed decision when purchasing the game for their children. These measures included bigger classification symbols; advice explaining the type of content; strengthened guidance for retail staff; all games for adults to be classified by the British Board of Film Classification even if there is no statutory requirement to do so; and a website publicised by five million leaflets where parents can learn about the content of games and their classification.
	We are keen to ensure that children are not exposed to inappropriate materials so we keep these measures under review. Currently, Dr. Tanya Byron is leading an independent review which is looking at the risks to children from exposure to potentially harmful or inappropriate material on the internet and in video games.

Video Games: Safety

John Penrose: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will introduce legislation to make it a requirement for screen-based electronic games publishers to  (a) test their products prior to publication to ensure that they do not cause serious photosensitive epileptic seizure and  (b) provide warnings that their products could trigger photosensitive epileptic seizures.

Gareth Thomas: I have been asked to reply.
	We believe there is already adequate legislation in the form of the General Product Safety Regulations 2005, which require consumer products to carry adequate warnings and instructions for use.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Adoption: Babies

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether her Department provides financial incentives to local authorities to increase take-up of adoptions of babies under the age of six months.

John Healey: pursuant to the reply 17 July 2007, Official Report, c. 215-6W
	 : The correct information is as follows:
	The Department for Communities and Local Government and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister before it has since 2000 provided a system of performance incentivisation for local authorities in England across a range of service areas. This system operated via the Local Public Service Agreements (LPSA), which have since been merged with Local Area Agreements (LAA). These agreements offered a reward grant to local authorities who could deliver outcomes over and above the level of performance Government would otherwise expect.
	64 local authorities chose to include in their LPSA or LAA a measure performance on adoption and/or stability of placements for looked-after children, though the targets would not refer specifically to babies under the age of six months. Reward would be payable to local authorities and their partners for achievement of these particular targets, and in a number of cases this has now been claimed. Details on each target have been made available in the Library of the House, though we do not have data on the age of the children adopted in local authority areas.

Buildings: Energy

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when she will announce details of the qualifications, training and accreditation required for those producing display energy certificates and advisory reports as required by the Energy Performance of Buildings (Certificates and Inspections) (England and Wales) Regulations 2007.

Yvette Cooper: holding answer 19 October 2007
	The national occupational standards which offer the framework for training and development are already in place. Relevant qualifications are under preparation. CLG has invited potential accreditation schemes to apply. Details can be found at www.communities.gov. uk/epbd.

Buildings: Energy

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when the operational rating methodology for the display energy certificates software and accompanying guidance notes will be published; and if she will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: holding answer 19 October 2007
	The operational rating methodology for display energy certificate software is currently under development and a preliminary version has been issued for testing. The final version of the software and accompanying guidance is scheduled to be published before the end of the year.

Climate Change

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  which organisations have representatives on  (a) the Government's Zero Carbon Homes Taskforce and  (b) her Department's Climate Change Planning Policy Statement Sounding Board;
	(2)  which local planning authorities were invited to the last meeting of her Department's Climate Change Planning Policy Statement Sounding Board.

Yvette Cooper: The organisations that sit on the Government's 2016 Zero Carbon Homes Taskforce alongside myself and the Minister for Energy are:
	Home Builders Federation
	Local Government Association
	WWF
	UK Green Building Council
	UK Business Council for Sustainable Energy
	Calcutt Review of Housing Delivery
	Construction Products Association
	Town and Country Planning Association
	National House Building Council
	Renewable Energy Advisory Board
	Invitations to the sounding board for the planning policy statement (PPS) on planning and climate change have been personal to the individual concerned, and made so as to bring together a range of expertise and know-how to inform the development of the PPS. Although participants were not contributing as representatives of their parent organisations, participants from the following organisations have sat on the sounding board.
	British Property Federation
	Confederation of British Industry
	English Partnerships
	Environment Agency
	Friends of the Earth
	Green Alliance
	Home Builders Federation
	Local Government Association
	London Borough of Enfield
	London Borough of Merton
	Planning Inspectorate
	Royal Town Planning Institute
	Solar Century
	South East Regional Assembly
	Town and Country Planning Association
	UK Green Building Council
	Wind Prospect Group
	WWF

Climate Change

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when her Department's Climate Change Planning Policy Statement sounding board will next meet; and which organisations will be invited to attend.

Yvette Cooper: No further meetings are currently planned.

Coalfields Regeneration Trust: Finance

Tony Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will make a statement on the future funding of the Coalfields Regeneration Trust.

Yvette Cooper: The Coalfields Regeneration Trust's current funding agreement for England continues until March 2008. A recent independent evaluation of the CLG coalfield programmes provided strong evidence of the trust's positive impact on our former coalfield communities. In view of the trust's continued good performance, provision is to be made for the continuation of the trust's funding for a further three years. The details of this will be announced shortly.

Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans she has to conduct a review of the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE); and what changes are planned for the design and building standards on which CABE advises.

Margaret Hodge: I have been asked to reply.
	In order to ensure that CABE continues to deliver effectively and in line with our Departmental priorities, DCMS (CABE's sponsor department) and CLG (CABE's co-funder) have agreed with CABE that it is timely to carry out a light touch review of this important independent NDPB. A commitment to carry out this review was included in CLG's recent Housing Green Paper. Terms of reference for the review are being finalised.
	The design and building standards on which CABE advises are outside the scope of the review. We have recently made reforms to the planning policy framework and building regulations which has put good design at the heart of decision making and the future housing growth agenda. We will continue to monitor progress to see if any further changes are needed in the future.

Community Development: Expenditure

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove) of 26 March 2007,  Official Report, column 1321W, on community development: expenditure, what the public expenditure has been on the Millennium Communities programme excluding the Greenwich Peninsula site.

Yvette Cooper: Pursuant to my answer to the hon. Member for Surrey Heath of 26 March 2007,  Official Report, column 1321W, to date, public expenditure related to the Millennium Communities programme, excluding the Greenwich Peninsula site amounts to a total of £86,561,250.
	This amount relates to a wide range of start-up expenditure that is necessary to regenerate difficult brownfield sites and create thriving new communities, such as providing essential infrastructure, sustainable urban drainage systems, community facilities and so on. The Millennium Communities programme as a whole is bringing forward seven new schools and colleges, five new health centres, 10 new public parks and play areas, and eight new community buildings. In addition, over 70,000 sq m of commercial and retail accommodation will be created. As an example, at the New Islington Millennium Community in Manchester the public investment is creating a new canal network, roads and infrastructure, a new primary school, a state of the art health centre, car club, child care facilities, an energy centre and 6,000 sq m of employment floorspace in addition to the 1,400 new homes.
	It is anticipated that some 75 per cent. of this public investment will be recouped in due course through receipts. The precise final figure will be known when the sites have been completed and developments sold. In addition, a significant amount of private sector investment has been levered in to these seven regeneration areas. This is currently some £749 million, which represents a private:public ratio of 8:1.

Council Housing: Property Transfer

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many council houses have been transferred to housing association ownership under the large scale voluntary transfer programme; how many were non-decent on the date of transfer; and how many are now non-decent.

Iain Wright: Since 1997, 127 local authorities have completed 198 transfers involving 831,481 homes. Since 2001 the number of non-decent homes on the date of transfer has totalled 246,781; numbers of non-decent homes transferring were not recorded prior to this date but we estimate between 1997 and 2001 there were around 155,000 non-decent homes that were transferred. Nearly 139,000 of transferred dwellings have been tackled since 2001 according to RSL data returns, representing a 56 per cent. reduction in the number of non-decent homes.

Council Tax

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the percentage change in Band D council tax has been in  (a) England and  (b) St. Albans since 1997-98.

John Healey: Details of the percentage change in B and D council tax in  (a) England and  (b) St. Albans since 1997-98 are available on the Communities and Local Government website at:
	www.local.communities.gov.uk/finance/ctax/data/ctaxtimes.xls

Council Tax: East Midlands

Dennis Skinner: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the annual change was in the level of council tax in each district council in the East Midlands in each year since 1996-97; and if she will make a statement.

John Healey: Details of the percentage change in council tax in each district council in the East Midlands from 1996-97 are available on the Communities and Local Government website at:
	www.local.communities.gov.uk/finance/ctax/data/ctaxtimes.xls

Council Tax: Eastern Region

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will list the counties in the East of England according to the level of council tax rises  (a) in each year since 1997,  (b) between 1997 and 2001,  (c) between 1997 and 2005,  (d) between 1997 and 2007 and  (e) between 2005 and 2007.

John Healey: Details of the percentage changes in council tax for counties in the East of England in  (a) each year since 1997-98,  (b) between 1997-98 and 2001-02,  (c) between 1997-98 and 2005-06,  (d) between 1997-98 and 2007-08 and  (e) between 2005-06 and 2007-08 are shown as follows.
	
		
			   Bedfordshire  Cambridgeshire  Essex  Hertfordshire  Norfolk  Suffolk 
			 1997-98 to 1998-99 4.0 10.2 14.9 12.2 15.7 10.0 
			 1998-99 to 1999-2000 9.0 9.9 7.2 9.8 9.8 8.4 
			 1999-2000 to 2000-01 4.9 8.5 8.3 6.5 6.2 7.3 
			 2000-01 to 2001-02 5.8 8.0 7.9 6.0 6.3 6.9 
			 2001-02 to 2002-03 9.9 9.3 9.8 9.5 9.8 11.9 
			 2002-03 to 2003-04 11.8 9.2 16.7 18.2 15.9 18.5 
			 2003-04 to 2004-05 -0.5 2.0 -0.5 5.3 5.8 3.8 
			 2004-05 to 2005-06 4.9 4.0 2.9 4.9 2.9 2.5 
			 2005-06 to 2006-07 4.9 5.0 4.6 5.0 5.0 4.5 
			 2006-07 to 2007-08 4.3 5.0 4.5 5.0 4.7 4.5 
			 1997-98 to 2001-02 25.9 41.8 43.9 39.1 43.3 36.7 
			 1997-98 to 2005-06 61.5 79.6 88.8 98.9 98.4 93.1 
			 1997-98 to 2007-08 76.7 98.0 106.6 119.2 118.2 110.9 
			 2005-06 to 2007-08 9.4 10.2 9.4 10.2 10.0 9.2 
		
	
	These data are taken from the Budget Requirement forms completed annually by all precepting authorities. The information shown only relates to the precept levied by the county council on a Band D two-adult property and does not include council tax levied by shire district, fire or police authorities.
	Data between years and authorities are not strictly comparable due to changes in methods of funding and responsibility. In particular, the funding of some fire authorities changed in 2004-05 from being financed by a levy on the county council to the fire authority becoming a precepting authority in their own right. This affected the figures for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Essex.

Council Tax: Emergency Services

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the average police and fire levy on Band D council tax in London was in each year from 1997-98 to the creation of the Greater London Authority.

John Healey: Details of the police and fire levy on Band D two-adult council tax in London from 1997-98 to the creation of the Greater London Authority in 2000-01 are shown in the following table:
	
		
			  £ 
			   London Fire  Metropolitan Police 
			 1997-98 25 63 
			 1998-99 26 76 
			 1999-2000 28 83 
		
	
	The data are collected on Budget Requirement returns submitted annually by all billing authorities in England.

Council Tax: Fire Services

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the average precept was for  (a) metropolitan councils,  (b) county councils,  (c) district councils,  (d) unitary councils and  (e) London boroughs excluding Greater London Authority police and fire on Band D council tax in England in each year from 1997-98 to 2007-08.

John Healey: District councils, unitary councils and London boroughs are not precepting authorities. Details of the average police and fire authority precept for Band D two-adult properties in England since 1997-98 are shown in the following table:
	
		
			  £ 
			   Metropolitan fire authorities  Combined fire and rescue authorities  Metropolitan police authorities  Shire police authorities 
			 1997-98 — — 55 53 
			 1998-99 27 — 55 56 
			 1999-2000 30 — 58 61 
			 2000-01 32 — 61 66 
			 2001-02 34 — 64 72 
			 2002-03 36 — 71 85 
			 2003-04 42 — 84 109 
			 2004-05 45 53 93 121 
			 2005-06 47 55 98 127 
			 2006-07 49 58 103 133 
			 2007-08 51 60 107 141 
		
	
	Prior to 2004-05, combined fire and rescue authorities were funded through grants from county councils, and not through a separate council tax precept.
	The data are collected on Budget Requirement returns submitted annually by all billing and precepting authorities in England.

Council Tax: Greater London

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the average Greater London Authority (GLA) precept on Band D council tax was in each year since the creation of the GLA.

John Healey: The Greater London Authority (GLA) council tax precept levied on average Band D two-adult properties, in each year since the creation of the GLA, is shown in the following table:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2000-01 123 
			 2001-02 151 
			 2002-03 174 
			 2003-04 224 
			 2004-05 241 
			 2005-06 255 
			 2006-07 289 
			 2007-08 304 
		
	
	The data are collected on Budget Requirement returns submitted annually by all billing authorities in England.

Council Tax: Parish Councils

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the estimated average parish council precept on Band D council tax was in 2007-08.

John Healey: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Meriden (Mrs. Spelman) on 19 June 2007,  Official Report, column 1674W.

Council Tax: Second Homes

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which local authorities have used their powers to reduce the council tax discount on  (a) empty and  (b) second homes; what revised discount rate each of them have set; and how much was raised collectively in extra council tax as a result in the most recent year for which figures are available.

John Healey: I have placed in the Library of the House a table showing, for each billing authority, the council tax discounts for second homes and long-term empty homes that were in effect at October 2006.
	It is estimated that, in 2006-07, the reduction in discounts for long-term empty homes raised £78.5 million and that the reduction in discounts for second homes raised £98 million.

Council Tax: Valuation

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the average Band D council tax for a  (a) standard two-person adult household and  (b) one-person adult household was in England in each year since 1997-98.

John Healey: Details of the average area Band D council tax for a two-adult household in England in each year since 1998-99 can be found on the Communities and Local Government website at:
	www.local.communities.gov.uk/finance/ctax/data/ctax067t1.xls
	and
	www.local.communities.gov.uk/finance/ctax/data/ctax078tl.xls
	One-adult households receive a 25 per cent. discount on the figures shown.
	The data are collected on budget requirement returns submitted annually by all billing authorities in England and include, where applicable, authorities' own council tax plus council tax collected on behalf of precepting bodies such as county councils, fire authorities and police authorities.

Departments: Cost-effectiveness

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what cash-releasing efficiency savings her Department has made in the last 12 months; at what cost; and in which divisions.

John Healey: Information on the cash-releasing efficiency savings made in the last 12 months is not available. Some of our workstreams report efficiency gains annually in arrears. We will publish our autumn performance report in November which will include the efficiency savings we have achieved to date including those delivered during 2006-07 and the proportion that is cash-releasing.
	Sir Peter Gershon's independent report into public sector efficiency did not require that efficiencies be recorded net of up-front investment costs and Communities and Local Government has followed this advice. As a consequence, the costs of delivering efficiency gains could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. All VFM savings during the CSR07 period will be cash-releasing and net of up-front costs.

EU Grants and Loans

Howard Stoate: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what research her Department has carried out into the impact of projects supported by European Union Urban II funding in  (a) Thames Gateway Kent and  (b) the UK; and if she will make a statement.

John Healey: In line with European regulations, two national evaluations have already been carried out on the English Urban II programmes, including the Thames Gateway Kent programme. These were the Mid Term Evaluation of 2003 and the subsequent update carried out in 2005. These reports have been accepted by the European Commission, and CLG and the programme managers have been acting on the recommendations within these reports. In addition, each programme produces an Annual Implementation Report summarising key achievements and impacts in the relevant urban areas. Copies of these reports are available from CLG and the Government offices for the regions.
	As part of the closure of the Urban II programmes in December 2008, final closure reports are expected to show further evaluation of these programmes and in particular the legacy that they will leave in each region.

Festivals and Special Occasions

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what rules are in place on the staging of outside events; whether any amendments to these rules are being considered; and if she will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 22 October 2007
	I have been asked to reply.
	Under the Licensing Act 2003 either a temporary event notice (TEN) or a premises licence is required if any licensable activities take place. A TEN will cover smaller events of less than 500 people at a cost of £21, while a premises licence is required for events with 500 or more people with the cost relating to the amount of people expected. However, if a local authority wishes to subsidise any specific community or charitable events it can do so using methods such as direct funding or internal charging.
	My Department published its Register of Local Authority Licensed Public Spaces in England and Wales on 15 January. The register lists those local authorities that have licensed their public spaces to enable a range of events to take place throughout the year. It will help event organisers and entertainers to determine whether licensable activities can take place in a particular location without the need to obtain a separate premises licence, or to give a temporary event notice.

Freedom of Information: Standards

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which local authorities make compensation payments to people making requests to them under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 when they fail to meet the deadlines for providing information set out in the Act.

Parmjit Dhanda: Communities and Local Government has no knowledge of such payments being made in these circumstances. There is no provision in the Freedom of Information Act 2000 for compensation payments to be made.

Home Condition Reports

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Milton Keynes, South-West (Dr. Starkey) of 8 February 2007,  Official Report, columns 1156-57, on home condition reports, who the independent researchers are; and if she will place in the Library a copy of their first report.

Yvette Cooper: Ipsos MORI have been commissioned, under competitive tender, to independently monitor and evaluate the area trials which are looking particularly at home condition reports.
	Full conclusions will not be available until the completion of transactions involving properties in the trials and buyers have been approached as part of the qualitative research. A copy of the research report will be placed in the House Library once the project has been finalised.

Home Information Packs

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 13 March 2007,  Official Report, column 239W, on home information packs, if she will break down expenditure on home information packs since March 2007.

Yvette Cooper: An update on programme spend was given in the House on 10 July 2007,  Official Report, columns 1308-10.
	Since then HIPs and EPCs expenditure has been as follows:
	
		
			  Programme spend 1 July to 30 September 2007 
			  £ 
			 Administration costs(1) 413,000 
			 Legal fees — 
			 Outside expertise 291,000 
			 Website Costs 67,000 
			 Area Trials — 
			 Research — 
			 Communications, publicity and publishing 1,650,000 
			 Agency Staff 69,000 
			 Other costs 10,000 
			 Total 2,500,000 
			 (1) Includes Departmental staff working on HIPs and EPC development, management and implementation.

Home Information Packs

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment has been made of the effect of the introduction of home information packs on the housing market.

Yvette Cooper: Home information packs have helped reduce search costs and promote early information in the housing market. Economists are clear that interest rates, house prices, stock market uncertainty and concerns about sub prime lending continue to be the most significant factors determining the behaviour of the housing market.
	We know some estate agents have been encouraging sellers to put their homes on to the market in advance of the HIPs deadlines. Short-term transitional effects on the timings of new listings are unsurprising. We continue to monitor the overall impact of the introduction of home information packs.

Home Information Packs

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to her statement of 6 May 2007,  Official Report, column 632, on home information packs, what definition her Department uses of a  (a) stakeholder and  (b) vested interest.

Yvette Cooper: There were no statements on HIPs in the House of Commons on 6 May 2007.

Home Information Packs

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much her Department has spent on  (a) administration,  (b) legal fees,  (c) special advisers,  (d) the website and  (e) other costs relating to the home information packs programme.

Yvette Cooper: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Beckenham (Mrs. Lait) today (Question 152419).

Home Information Packs

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the  (a) lowest and  (b) highest cost has been of a home information pack; and what the reported (i) longest and (ii) shortest time taken to compile a pack has been.

Yvette Cooper: Our monitoring arrangements do not capture specific data on the longest and shortest time taken to compile a home information pack, or the lowest and highest cost. Our monitoring shows that most HIPs are being provided within five to seven working days and that the current average market price of an HIP is £300 to £350 plus VAT.

Home Information Packs: Consultants

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what external consultancy or research organisations her Department and its predecessor has contracted to work on home information packs since 2002; what the topic of their research or advice was; and how much has been spent on each.

Yvette Cooper: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove) on 8 November 2006,  Official Report, column 1568W. Since then a further £2,005,259 has been spent.
	In addition we have commissioned research on the following topics since 2002. Tenders submitted were evaluated against the Department's assessment of value for money and procurement framework. Costs set out are exclusive of VAT,
	
		
			  Topic  Organisation  Cost (£) 
			 Area trials Ipsos MORI 590,373 
			 Economic analysis Europe Economics 43,321 
			 DEAs and HIs Asset Skills 21,110 
			  BRE 28,900 
			  Ipsos MORI 41,784 
			 Searches CIPFA 8,000 
			  KPMG 187,000 
			 Evaluation Ipsos MORI and BRE 361,729 
			  Spark Research 10,500 
			 Awareness GFK NOP 83,000 
			  NOP 22,000 
			 HCRs BRE 308,057 
			  BRE 102,915 
			  BRE 9,970

Home Information Packs: Europe Economics

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the cost to the public purse is of commissioning Europe Economics for its work on home information packs.

Yvette Cooper: Europe Economics were commissioned, under competitive tender, to carry out two short-term pieces of work on home information packs.
	Their economic analysis of Energy Performance in Buildings Directive (EPBD) Impact Assessment totalled £18,841.
	Their research of housing market analysis in the context of the introduction of Home Information Packs amounted to £39,684.

Home Information Packs: Europe Economics

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will place the research by Europe Economics on home information packs in the Library.

Yvette Cooper: A copy of their report will be placed in the Library once the project is finalised.

Home Information Packs: Pilot Schemes

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what independent assessments there have been of the home information pack dry-runs and pilots;
	(2)  if she will place in the Library a copy of the evaluation reports for the dry-runs and pilots of the Home Information Pack.

Yvette Cooper: Ipsos MORI were commissioned, under competitive tender, to conduct independent research into the HIPs area trials which are looking particularly at the Home Condition Reports.
	Full conclusions will not be available until the completion of transactions involving properties in the trials and buyers have been approached as part of the qualitative research. A copy of the research report will be placed in the House Library once the project has been finalised.

Home Information Packs: Pilot Schemes

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the names and positions are of the members of the stakeholder working party set up for the home information packs pilot schemes; and on what dates the working party met.

Yvette Cooper: Industry participation in the area trials was on a voluntary basis and stakeholder groups were not formed to work on the pilot schemes.

Home Information Packs: Prices

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the average market price, including VAT, has been of a home information pack for a  (a) four and  (b) three bedroom (i) freehold and (ii) leasehold home.

Yvette Cooper: Early indications show that the current average market price of a HIP is £300 to £350 plus VAT. This includes both three and four-bedroom leasehold and freehold properties.

Homelessness: Greater London

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many persons aged  (a) under 16,  (b) 16,  (c) 17,  (d) 18 and  (e) over 18 were (i) registered homeless with and (ii) on the housing waiting lists of each London borough in the latest period for which figures are available.

Iain Wright: The information is as follows.
	(i) Information about local authorities' actions under homelessness legislation is collected in respect of households rather than persons. The number of households accepted by local authorities as eligible for assistance, unintentionally homeless and in priority need, and therefore owed a main homelessness duty, is not collected by specific ages, but data are provided by the age band into which the applicant falls, the first of which is those applicants who are aged between 16 and 24 years old (all applicants must be 16 or over).
	The following table shows the total number of acceptances where the applicant was aged (a) between 16 and 24 years old, and (b) 25 years old and over, by each London borough, for the most recent quarter for which information is available—April to June 2007.
	
		
			  Table 1: Households accepted as owed a main homelessness duty, by age of applicant, April-June 2007 
			   Applicant aged 16-24 years old  Applicant aged 25 or over 
			 Barking and Dagenham 42 40 
			 Barnet 40 61 
			 Bexley 19 37 
			 Brent 82 158 
			 Bromley 61 89 
			 Camden 13 42 
			 City of London 0 1 
			 Croydon 49 63 
			 Ealing 49 77 
			 Enfield 76 80 
			 Greenwich 35 39 
			 Hackney 70 115 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 18 31 
			 Haringey 20 64 
			 Harrow 19 44 
			 Havering 21 27 
			 Hillingdon 25 82 
			 Hounslow 49 47 
			 Islington 62 86 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 11 42 
			 Kingston upon Thames 26 40 
			 Lambeth 60 57 
			 Lewisham 47 49 
			 Merton 7 17 
			 Newham 31 48 
			 Redbridge 35 73 
			 Richmond upon Thames 14 8 
			 Southwark 80 75 
			 Button 27 33 
			 Tower Hamlets 43 85 
			 Waltham Forest 51 94 
			 Wandsworth 56 69 
			 Westminster 33 75 
			  Source: P1E Quarterly Homelessness returns 
		
	
	Data on acceptances are also collected by the priority need category of acceptances, and include those applicants accepted as in priority need primarily through being 16 or 17 years old. However it is important to note that some 16 and 17 year olds applicants may have been accepted in alternative primary priority need categories, for example through having dependant children or being a pregnant woman, and so will not show up in these figures. Some authorities report secondary priority need categories of applicants (when they fall into more than one priority need group), and these figures are also presented.
	The following table presents 16 or 17 year old priority need acceptance data, both primary and secondary (when reported), for each London borough, for the most recent quarter for which information is available—April to June 2007. Note that there will be overlap with those households reported in table 1.
	
		
			  Table 2: Households accepted as owed a main homelessness duty, by priority need category, April-June 2007 
			   Applicant in priority need primarily through being 16 or 17 years old  Applicant with a secondary priority need of being 16 or 17 years old 
			 Barking and Dagenham 10 1 
			 Barnet 20 — 
			 Bexley 3 1 
			 Brent 30 0 
			 Bromley 18 — 
			 Camden 2 — 
			 City of London 0 0 
			 Croydon 0 — 
			 Ealing 15 — 
			 Enfield 24 1 
			 Greenwich 8 — 
			 Hackney 23 3 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 12 0 
			 Haringey 5 6 
			 Harrow 1 1 
			 Havering 1 0 
			 Hillingdon 1 0 
			 Hounslow 10 1 
			 Islington 16 3 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 0 0 
			 Kingston upon Thames 0 — 
			 Lambeth 20 1 
			 Lewisham 14 — 
			 Merton 3 0 
			 Newham 5 — 
			 Redbridge 9 — 
			 Richmond upon Thames 8 10 
			 Southwark 21 0 
			 Button 11 0 
			 Tower Hamlets 5 — 
			 Waltham Forest 10 0 
			 Wandsworth 16 2 
			 Westminster 11 — 
			 '—'Denotes data not reported by LA  Source: P1E Quarterly Homelessness returns 
		
	
	(ii) Information on the number of persons on the housing waiting list, broken down by age, is not collected centrally.
	However, the number of households on the waiting list for social housing in each London borough in each year since 1997, as at 1 April each year, is published on the Communities and Local Government website in table 600. Note that the figures include all households on the waiting list, and not only those that are homeless. The link for this table is given as follows:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/housing/xls/144458

Hometrack

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles) of 26 June 2007,  Official Report, column 633W, on Hometrack, if she will place in the Library the written consultation representations from Hometrack.

Yvette Cooper: Representations from Hometrack were received in relation to improving the efficiency of the mortgage lending process and in connection with their application to become "early adopters" of home information packs. None of these exchanges were part of a public consultation exercise.

Housing Benefit: Sandwell

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the average level of housing benefit was for  (a) local authority tenants,  (b) registered social landlord tenants and  (c) private sector tenants in Sandwell Metropolitan borough council in each of the last five years.

James Plaskitt: I have been asked to reply.
	The information is in the following table.
	
		
			  Average amount of housing benefit paid to tenants in Sandwell Metropolitan borough council area by tenure 
			  £ per week 
			   February 
			   2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 Local Authority Tenants 47.30 48.59 50.16 51.45 53.02 
			 Registered Social Landlord Tenants 65.70 60.89 62.56 65.22 61.44 
			 Private Tenants(1) 72.69 68.09 72.19 77.60 73.05 
			 All tenants 51.90 52.04 54.17 56.27 56.70 
			 (1) Private tenants includes regulated tenants, deregulated tenants and other private tenants. It excludes registered social landlord tenants.  Notes: 1. The data refer to benefit units, which may be a single person or a couple. 2. The average amounts have been rounded to the nearest penny. 3. Housing benefit figures exclude any extended payment cases.  Source: Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit Management Information System Quarterly 100 per cent. caseload stock-count taken in the quarters shown.

Housing Low Incomes

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many homes were built by registered social landlords in each London constituency in each year since 2003; and if she will make a statement.

Iain Wright: The table shows new build completions through Housing Corporation Affordable Housing Programme, Transitional Local Authority Social Housing Grant and Thames Gateway investment via registered social landlords (RSLs) for each London borough between 2003-04 and 2006-07.
	These figures include new build completions for affordable housing, social rent and low cost home ownership. Figures do not include homes provided through Section 106 without grant or through direct investment by RSLs, and therefore may be understating the number of new homes provided by RSLs.
	
		
			  New build homes provided by RSLs through housing corporation investment 
			  Local authority  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 City of London 0 81 230 128 
			 Barking and Dagenham 182 194 240 265 
			 Barnet 88 170 289 32 
			 Bexley 31 55 58 101 
			 Brent 296 256 173 504 
			 Bromley 70 93 232 153 
			 Camden 22 138 147 112 
			 Croydon 57 123 216 385 
			 Ealing 180 315 247 434 
			 Enfield 223 244 244 301 
			 Greenwich 432 347 200 467 
			 Hackney 345 230 182 443 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 381 213 78 461 
			 Haringey 271 195 427 235 
			 Harrow 67 47 41 110 
			 Havering 43 96 69 129 
			 Hillingdon 129 124 98 102 
			 Hounslow 236 113 261 431 
			 Islington 251 173 522 762 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 169 8 44 81 
			 Kingston upon Thames 29 165 18 59 
			 Lambeth 267 162 442 130 
			 Lewisham 256 383 251 172 
			 Merton 40 92 102 138 
			 Newham 149 273 264 434 
			 Redbridge 119 100 107 264 
			 Richmond upon Thames 96 186 91 41 
			 Southwark 346 503 216 617 
			 Sutton 86 264 321 113 
			 Tower Hamlets 231 114 425 1,005 
			 Waltham Forest 177 56 188 236 
			 Wandsworth 49 295 104 211 
			 Westminster 73 227 285 51 
			 New build total 5,391 6,035 6,812 9,107 
			  
			 Acquisition and refurbishment 5,382 3,342 4,192 2,486 
			  Notes: 1. Transitional LASHG concluded in 2005-06. 2. Homes provided through starter home initiative are included in the acquisition and refurbishment figures. 3. As shown in the table a further 15,402 homes for either social rent, intermediate rent or low cost home ownership were provided by RSLs, with housing corporation investment, through acquisition and refurbishment over these four years.  Source: Housing Corporation IMS system

Housing Low Incomes

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many units of social housing were available in each London constituency in each year since 2003; and if she will make a statement.

Iain Wright: Information on social housing by constituency is not held centrally.
	The numbers of social rent dwellings in London that are owned or managed by local authorities and registered social landlords (RSLs) are tabulated as follows.
	
		
			  Social dwelling stock (local authority and registered social landlords) by local authority area, London 
			  1 April  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 Barking and Dagenham 25,170 23,700 23,401 22,850 
			 Barnet 18,591 18,165 17,715 17,174 
			 Bexley 13,156 13,061 13,239 12,524 
			 Brent 24,209 24,279 24,083 23,561 
			 Bromley 18,154 18,018 18,133 17,413 
			 Camden 37,096 36,649 35,145 34,457 
			 City of London 746 764 725 725 
			 Croydon 24,343 23,881 23,806 23,717 
			 Ealing 23,425 22,927 22,882 22,507 
			 Enfield 18,989 18,429 18,220 18,169 
			 Greenwich 37,056 36,024 35,427 35,213 
			 Hackney 49,177 46,471 45,824 44,591 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 26,325 25,977 25,504 25,045 
			 Haringey 28,211 27,545 27,394 26,603 
			 Harrow 9,162 8,492 8,533 8,337 
			 Havering 13,651 13,256 13,318 13,111 
			 Hillingdon 16,164 16,118 16,228 16,156 
			 Hounslow 20,552 19,778 19,355 18,762 
			 Islington 42,888 42,097 41,590 40,632 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 20,252 20,415 20,312 20,117 
			 Kingston upon Thames 7,241 7,153 7,201 6,907 
			 Lambeth 53,006 49,942 48,637 48,034 
			 Lewisham 39,839 37,985 37,034 36,276 
			 Merton 11,600 11,056 11,179 11,023 
			 Newham 32,096 30,381 30,061 29,602 
			 Redbridge 9,481 9,470 9,352 9,332 
			 Richmond upon Thames 9,746 9,673 9,748 9,651 
			 Southwark 60,210 58,590 57,857 55,525 
			 Sutton 12,154 11,273 11,379 11,100 
			 Tower Hamlets 41,725 40,191 39,391 39,037 
			 Waltham Forest 24,020 21,689 21,094 20,964 
			 Wandsworth 28,705 27,888 27,628 26,795 
			 Westminster 27,858 27,174 26,893 27,040 
			 Total London 824,998 798,511 788,288 772,950 
			  Source: Includes local authority stock from the Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix as reported by local authorities, and registered social landlords stock from regulatory statistical return as reported by registered social landlords. 
		
	
	RSL stock includes supported/older people self contained units and bed spaces.

Housing: Carbon Emissions

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment was made of the merits of appointing a representative of the UK's renewable energy industry to the Government Zero Carbon Homes Taskforce.

Yvette Cooper: A representative of the renewables industry is now a full member of the 2016 Taskforce in addition to the UK Business Council for Sustainable Energy, the UK Green Building Council and the Minister of State for Energy.

Housing: Carbon Emissions

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  if she will list the representatives of the onsite renewable energy sector who are full members of her Department's Zero Carbon Homes Taskforce;
	(2)  who the members are of her Department's Zero Carbon Homes Taskforce.

Yvette Cooper: The 2016 task force includes members of a number of organisations working on the programme for zero carbon homes.
	I am a member of the task force, as is my hon. Friend the Minister for Energy at the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform.
	Other members are:
	Stewart Baseley, Executive Chairman, Home Builders Federation.
	John Callcutt, Chair, Callcutt Review of Housebuilding Delivery.
	Paul King, Chief Executive, UK Green Building Council.
	Michael Ankers, Chief Executive, Construction Products Association.
	David Green, Chief Executive, UK Business Council for Sustainable Energy.
	Martin Wheatley, Programme Director, Local Government Association.
	Simon McWhirter, Senior Campaigns Officer, WWF.
	Gideon Amos, Chief Executive, Town and Country Planning Association.
	Imtiaz Farookhi, Chief Executive, National House Building Council.
	Matthew Spencer, Chair of the Renewable Energy Advisory Board Subgroup on Microgen.

Housing: Energy

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what proportion of private sector houses built in each of the last three years met the energy efficiency standards required of public sector housing; and when she expects the same standards to be required in both sectors.

Iain Wright: Prior to April 2007 we did not collect information on the energy efficiency standards of either public sector housing or private sector housing. However, since April 2007 when the Code for Sustainable Homes was introduced in England, all Government-funded homes and homes built on land owned by English Partnerships will be built to Code level 3, which is a 25 per cent. improvement on minimum energy efficiency standards set down in Part L of the Building Regulations. It is too early to say what proportion of private sector housing will be built to Code level 3.
	All new homes, whether built by the private or public sector, are required to meet the minimum energy efficiency standards set down in Part L of the Building Regulations. Following extensive consultation with the home building industry, environmental groups and other stakeholders, on 23 July 2007 the Government confirmed, in its Housing Green Paper, its intention to increase the energy efficiency standards of new homes above 2006 levels by 25 per cent. in 2010, 44 per cent. in 2013 and for all new homes to be zero carbon by 2016.

Housing: Floods

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much development is expected to take place on flood plains under the building plans laid out in the prevailing Regional Planning Guidance Notes.

Yvette Cooper: Regional Spatial Strategies (previously Regional Planning Guidance) are not generally site specific so this is information is not available.

Housing: Floods

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many of the 160,000 homes to be built under the Government target for the Thames Gateway Interim Plan will be in a flood risk area; and if she will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: The Thames Gateway has the capacity to provide up to 160,000 homes between 2001 and 2016. Growth will be largely concentrated on previously developed land in existing urban areas that are already protected by a very high standard of flood defences.
	Strategic flood risk assessments have been carried out across the Thames Gateway to assess flood risk and inform planning decisions.

Housing: Foreigners

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many individuals who are not UK citizens were housed by  (a) Cross Keys Homes and  (b) other registered social landlords in Peterborough, under the auspices of Regulations c, d and e of the 2006 EEA Regulations in each month since May 2004; and if she will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: Information on individuals who are not UK citizens who were housed under the auspices of Regulations c, d, and e is not currently available.

Housing: Greater London

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what percentage of  (a) housing association and  (b) private sector housing in each London constituency was judged to be unfit in each of the last five years.

Iain Wright: Information is collected for local authorities, rather than for constituencies. The percentages of  (a) housing association dwellings and  (b) private sector dwellings, within each London local authority, judged to be unfit in each of the last five years are provided in tables 1 and 2, respectively. The percentages are calculated from data reported by local authorities in their annual Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix returns.
	
		
			  Table 1: Unfit dwellings within housing associations, as reported by local authorities 
			  Percentage 
			   2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 Barking and Dagenham 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.3 
			 Barnet 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
			 Bexley 0.0 0.0 12.8 0.0 0.0 
			 Brent 0.4 0.3 2.1 0.4 0.3 
			 Bromley 0.0 4.5 0.3 4.2 4.6 
			 Camden 8.1 8.3 3.6 3.7 1.0 
			 City of London 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
			 Croydon 6.6 6.3 7.0 6.3 2.5 
			 Ealing 1.6 1.2 1.0 0.7 0.6 
			 Enfield 0.0 0.1 0.8 1.1 0.0 
			 Greenwich 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.2 0.0 
			 Hackney 3.5 3.0 0.8 1.8 1.8 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 1.3 1.3 0.3 0.3 1.3 
			 Haringey 1.0 8.3 8.3 7.4 4.0 
			 Harrow 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.1 1.5 
			 Havering 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 5.9 
			 Hillingdon 1.4 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
			 Hounslow 0.0 0.2 0.3 1.4 0.3 
			 Islington 8.0 6.5 6.3 5.6 6.0 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 2.4 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.5 
			 Kingston upon Thames 0.1 0.1 0.0 2.2 0.0 
			 Lambeth 1.0 1.0 1.0 0.2 0.2 
			 Lewisham 0.0 3.4 3.4 3.0 3.0 
			 Merton 0.0 0.0 0.9 1.3 0.0 
			 Newham 1.4 1.4 5.0 8.4 8.4 
			 Redbridge 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
			 Richmond upon Thames 1.4 1.4 1.5 3.9 0.3 
			 Southwark 2.0 5.3 5.1 4.9 4.7 
			 Sutton 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
			 Tower Hamlets 3.2 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.5 
			 Waltham Forest 3.2 2.4 0.7 1.4 6.4 
			 Wandsworth 0.2 4.2 4.2 0.8 0.2 
			 Westminster 8.0 8.1 8.0 8.0 7.8 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Unfit dwellings within private sector housing, as reported by local authorities 
			  Percentage 
			   2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 Barking and Dagenham 4.7 4.2 4.4 4.8 4.8 
			 Barnet 5.6 5.8 5.7 5.6 5.6 
			 Bexley 7.0 6.9 4.4 6.6 3.5 
			 Brent 14.6 14.4 6.8 6.6 15.3 
			 Bromley 3.9 5.0 4.9 3.2 3.1 
			 Camden 16.7 16.9 10.0 11.0 11.1 
			 City of London 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
			 Croydon 8.3 8.3 8.3 8.2 8.3 
			 Ealing 6.0 6.0 5.8 4.7 0.9 
			 Enfield 4.0 3.9 3.9 3.8 3.8 
			 Greenwich 13.5 13.2 12.6 12.2 11.7 
			 Hackney 12.1 n/a 11.5 10.8 10.2 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 17.8 13.8 4.8 5.6 5.5 
			 Haringey 17.6 17.5 17.5 14.6 9.8 
			 Harrow 3.9 3.9 3.9 3.9 3.9 
			 Havering 4.3 4.0 3.9 3.9 3.9 
			 Hillingdon 6.0 5.8 4.4 4.4 5.7 
			 Hounslow 11.5 11.4 11.2 3.5 3.5 
			 Islington 11.2 8.0 7.6 6.9 5.9 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 4.3 4.3 4.3 4.3 4.4 
			 Kingston upon Thames 4.7 4.6 4.5 4.5 4.4 
			 Lambeth 10.1 14.1 14.1 11.3 11.3 
			 Lewisham 7.5 7.4 7.2 6.9 6.9 
			 Merton 12.3 12.2 n/a 6.2 5.7 
			 Newham 26.6 26.7 14.1 15.2 15.2 
			 Redbridge 0.0 0.0 6.1 5.9 5.9 
			 Richmond upon Thames 4.4 6.5 5.5 5.0 5.0 
			 Southwark 5.7 3.6 3.5 6.6 6.4 
			 Sutton 4.9 4.8 4.7 4.4 4.2 
			 Tower Hamlets 6.4 4.6 3.9 3.6 3.4 
			 Waltham Forest 8.0 8.0 8.0 6.3 5.8 
			 Wandsworth 1.6 9.0 8.9 5.5 5.5 
			 Westminster 5.1 5.1 5.0 4.9 4.8 
			 n/a = Not available.  Note: Underlying data as reported by local authorities. Some zeros may reflect non-reporting of numbers of unfit dwellings.  Source:  Communities and Local Government Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix Return (HSSA), calculated from section A. 
		
	
	Returns for individual authorities are not strictly comparable for a number of methodological reasons related to the timing and methods of assessment used. The latest national estimates from the English House Condition Survey for 2005 indicated 3 per cent. of housing association homes were unfit and 4 per cent. of private sector homes were unfit.

Housing: Greater London

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many homes were built in each London constituency in each year since 2003; and if she will make a statement.

Iain Wright: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 8 October 2007,  Official Report, columns 41-42W.

Housing: Immigrants

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 15 October 2007,  Official Report, columns 848-50W, on housing: immigrants, what estimate has been made of the number of foreign national headed households in social housing in each of the last 10 years.

Yvette Cooper: The information requested is not collected by the Department and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Housing: Immigration

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will make an estimate of the number of social dwellings owned by  (a) local councils and  (b) registered social landlords which are allocated to non-British citizens with work permits, asylum seekers and refugees.

Yvette Cooper: Work permit holders granted leave to enter or remain in the UK are not eligible for social housing allocated by local authorities. No data are held centrally about RSL lettings which may be made to work permit holders.
	Asylum seekers are not eligible for social housing allocated by local authorities under Part 6 of the Housing Act (1996), but can seek help with accommodation from the Home Office if they are destitute.
	Refugees who have been granted asylum in the United Kingdom because they have a well founded fear of being persecuted in their own country are eligible for social housing. Using a combination of data sources (the Continuous Recording of Lettings form (CORE), and the Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix (HSSA)), we estimate that in 2005-06 less than 0.5 per cent. of new general needs lettings to new social housing tenants in England were to refugees.

Housing: Low Incomes

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  how many  (a) housing associations and  (b) local authorities offer the Social Homebuy scheme;
	(2)  how many individuals have completed a sale to part-own or own their social home under the Social Homebuy scheme;
	(3)  how many Social Homebuy sale completions have taken place in  (a) housing association properties and  (b) local authority properties.

Yvette Cooper: In April 2006 four social landlords began piloting Social Homebuy on a voluntary basis. The pilot scheme, which will run until March 2008, allows participating local authorities and housing associations to offer tenants living in social rented accommodation the opportunity to purchase discounted shares of their home starting with an initial share of 25 per cent.
	The majority of the 88 sales to date have come from completions with the first phase of participating landlords, most of whom joined in late 2006. 85 were from housing association and three were from local authorities. Since April this year a second phase of landlords have joined the pilot scheme and are now offering Social Homebuy to their tenants. As with normal home purchases it can take several months to reach completion.
	In all there are now 77 housing associations and nine local authorities who are offering tenants the chance to purchase a share in their home.

Housing: Rural Areas

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps the Government are taking to improve the supply of rural housing.

Yvette Cooper: The Government set up the Affordable Rural Housing Commission to look into ways to improve the affordability of rural housing. Since its report in May 2006 we have taken a series of measures to help address rural problems, including changes to planning rules and a commitment to set a rural target for affordable housing over the next three years in light of the advice from regional housing boards which is done later in the year.
	The Government set out measures in the Housing Green Paper which will help rural as well as urban areas. The detail of where new homes should be built is a matter for local planning authorities to determine.
	In addition, the Prime Minister has asked the hon. Member for Truro and St. Austell (Matthew Taylor) to conduct a review on how land use and planning can better support rural business and deliver more affordable housing. The review should be completed around July 2008.
	The Housing Corporation is also exploring whether Community Land Trusts can add to the delivery of affordable housing: with Salford University it is supporting a number of pilot Community Land Trusts in rural areas in order to establish the pros and cons of a number of different models.

Housing: Rural Areas

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps the Government are taking to increase the supply of rural housing.

Yvette Cooper: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given today (PQ 147373).

Local Area Agreements

Anne Snelgrove: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will take steps to encourage local authorities to establish strong links between their local area agreement and local compacts.

John Healey: It is vital that non-statutory organisations such as voluntary and community sector groups and businesses are fully involved in partnership working to agree and deliver local area agreements. Indeed in most areas they are already involved in collaborative working through the Local Strategic Partnership (LSP) for the area. The 2006 LSP survey showed that over 80 per cent. of LSPs have voluntary sector umbrella organisations among their membership and nearly two thirds involve businesses. We want LSPs to develop this further because these sectors have a valuable contribution to make to discussions and can help to deliver in ways in which mainstream public sector providers can find difficult.
	The Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Bill, requires that the upper-tier or 'responsible' local authority must consult such other persons as appear to it to be appropriate, during the preparation of both the Sustainable Community Strategy and Local Area Agreement. While this will allow local authorities to exercise their discretion in this matter, we would expect responsible local authorities to consult with appropriate representatives of the local voluntary, community and business sectors. We will make this obligation clear through the statutory guidance to accompany the legislation.
	In addition, all local authorities now have a local compact in place which, if utilised, can help deliver real change for communities by recognising the third sector's independence, partnership working, diversity and right to campaign. Local authorities and their partners should consider how compact principles can be embedded in local area agreements.
	To help ensure third sector organisations are effectively involved in the LAA process we have also worked with national third sector organisations to develop guiding principles of representation, based on their experience of what has proved successful. We will shortly be releasing these principles as a discussion paper.

Local Authorities: Equal Pay

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 10 October 2007,  Official Report, columns 666-67W, on Local Authorities: Equal Pay, what criteria were used to determine how much funding would be provided for Bournemouth to meet pay and grading reviews in order to comply with the Equal Pay Act 1974.

John Healey: On 4 April 2007, Communities and Local Government published a revised guidance note covering the policy and procedures for authorities seeking capitalisation of equal pay back-pay costs in 2007-08. This guidance is available at:
	http://www.local.communities.gov.uk/finance/capital/cappolpro2.pdf.

Local Authorities: Grants

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the central Government's grant per capita was for each local authority in England in  (a) 1997-98 and  (b) 2005-06; and what the average grant per capita in (i) district councils, (ii) unitary councils, (iii) county councils, (iv) metropolitan councils and (v) London boroughs was in each of those years.

John Healey: I have placed in the Library of the House a table showing the information on central Government grant per capita for each local authority in 1998-99 and 2005-06.
	It is not possible to give figures for 1997-98 as the population figures are unavailable owing to the reorganisation of local authorities.
	The average central Government grant per capita by class of authority in 1998-99 and 2005-06 is tabled as follows:
	
		
			  £ per head 
			  Class of authority  1998-99  2005-06 
			 District Councils 62 79 
			 Unitary Councils 633 1,042 
			 County Councils 476 772 
			 Metropolitan Councils 723 1,238 
			 London Boroughs (including City of London) 841 1,307 
			  Source: Communities and Local Government Revenue Outturn (RO) returns. 
		
	
	Central Government grant is defined here as the sum of formula grant (revenue support grant, police grant and redistributed non-domestic rates) and specific grants inside aggregate external finance (AEF), i.e. revenue grants paid for a council's core services.
	Figures exclude grants outside AEF (i.e. where funding is not for authorities' core services, but is passed to a third party, for example, rent allowances and rebates), capital grants, funding for the local authorities' housing management responsibilities and those grant programmes (such as European funding) where authorities are simply one of the recipients of funding paid towards an area.

Local Government Finance

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Beckenham (Mrs. Lait) of 3 September 2007,  Official Report, columns 1682-83W, on Local Government Finance, which years the funding covers for each of the participatory budget pilot areas indicated.

John Healey: Pursuant to the reply given on 3 September 2007,  Official Report, columns 1682-83W, on the amount of funding allocated by the participatory budgeting pilot projects, the following table shows the breakdown by financial year.
	
		
			Financial year 
			 Bradford Neighbourhood Renewal Fund 2004-08 
			  Neighbourhood Renewal Fund  
			  Safer and Stronger Communities Fund 2006-08 
			
			 Newcastle Neighbourhood Renewal Fund 2006-08 
			
			 Sunderland New Deal for Communities in East End and Hendon 2005-08 
			  East Area Committee Local Authority Funding 2005-06 
			  Re-profiling New Deal for Communities funds 2006-11 
			
			 Salford Local Authority Transport capital programme, "other minor works" funding devolved to Claremont and Weaste Community Committee 2007-08 
			
			 Manton Neighbourhood Management Pathfinder 2007-08 
			
			 Lewisham Neighbourhood Renewal Fund 2007-08 
			  Local Authority core funds (spending priorities for these funds to be decided in September).

Local Government Finance: Greater London

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the percentage change in central Government funding provided to each local authority in London was in each year since 1997; and if she will make a statement.

John Healey: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Regent's Park and Kensington, North (Ms Buck) on 18 January 2007,  Official Report, column 1323W.

Local Government Finance: Oxfordshire

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will make a statement on the formula by which area-based grant will be allocated to Oxfordshire from April 2008.

John Healey: The overall allocation for Area Based Grant for an individual authority will not be allocated on the basis of formulae. Each Department allocating support to local authorities through Area Based Grant will be responsible for determining the distribution of their funding contribution to individual authorities. Total Area Based Grant allocations at local authority level will be the sum of the allocations made by each Department contributing funding.

Local Government Finance: Schools

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the impact on public expenditure of treating the dedicated schools grant as part of a local authority's overall budget for the purposes of calculating the threshold over which Bellwin funding may be claimed; and if she will make a statement.

John Healey: The Government consider it appropriate to include dedicated schools grant within the threshold calculation since costs incurred by local authorities on schools are eligible for Bellwin funding provided other criteria are met.

Local Government: Public Expenditure

Graham Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much was spent on local government from the public purse in the last year for which figures are available.

John Healey: Local authorities in England received an estimated £66.3 billion in central government funding during 2006-07.
	This estimate is based on Communities and Local Government provisional revenue outturn data. The final 2006-07 outturn figure will be available later this year.
	Central government grant is defined here as the sum of formula grant (revenue support grant, police grant and redistributed non-domestic rates) and specific grants inside aggregate external finance (AEF), i.e. revenue grants paid for council's core services.
	Figures exclude grants outside AEF (i.e. where funding is not for authorities' core services, but is passed to a third party, for example, rent allowances and rebates), capital grants, funding for the local authorities' housing management responsibilities and those grant programmes (such as European funding) where authorities are simply one of the recipients of funding paid towards an area.

Local Government: Standards

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which local authorities, classified by Government office region, have Public Service Agreement (PSA) targets which include adoption targets; what the target for adoption is in each case; and how much money each local authority will receive if it achieves all of its PSA targets.

John Healey: pursuant to the reply 13 June 2007, Official Report, c. 1073W
	There are 64 reward targets in Local Public Service Agreements and Local Area Agreements which measure performance on adoption and/or stability of placements for Looked After Children. Reward would be payable to local authorities and their partners for achievement of these particular targets. Details on each target have been made available in the Library of the House.

Local Planning Authorities: Renewable Energy

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  which local planning authorities have included a Merton planning rule requiring onsite renewable energy in new developments in their draft local development frameworks;
	(2)  how many local authorities  (a) have adopted a Merton rule requiring onsite renewables in all major new developments and  (b) have included a Merton rule requiring onsite renewables in all major new developments as part of their draft local development frameworks.

Yvette Cooper: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Chesterfield (Paul Holmes) on 17 October 2007,  Official Report, columns 73-74W.

Local Strategic Partnerships

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what role hon. Members play in relation to local strategic partnerships.

John Healey: The current non-statutory Local Strategic Partnership guidance issued in 2001 does not prescribe a role for hon. Members, instead leaving the decision about how MPs are represented on individual partnerships to the discretion of local authorities, their partners and MPs themselves. Accordingly, the roles MPs take on Local Strategic Partnerships are varied and can range from non-representation through to chairing the partnership.
	Government do not monitor individual Local Strategic Partnerships on these roles, but have collected data through a survey of LSPs. The 2006 survey indicated that 10 per cent. of LSPs included MPs or MEPs among their core membership and 27 per cent. among their wider membership.

Members: Correspondence

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when she expects to reply to the letters of 20 July and 21 September from the hon. Member for the Forest of Dean on the Planning White Paper and its impact on wildlife.

Iain Wright: I replied to the hon. Member on 24 October.

Microgeneration

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  when she expects to lay before Parliament in accordance with section 10 (3) of the Climate Change and Sustainable Energy Act 2006 a report of any review she has conducted in accordance with section 10 (1) of the same Act;
	(2)  when she plans to exercise her powers under section 59 (2)(a) of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 so as to provide that development orders made by virtue of that section facilitate development in England consisting of the installation, within the curtilage of a dwelling place, of equipment apparatus or appliances for microgeneration in accordance with section 10 (3) of the Climate Change and Sustainable Energy Act 2006;
	(3)  whether she has formed a view in accordance with section 10(2) of the Climate Change and Sustainable Energy Act 2006 as to what provision (or further provision) development orders issued under section 59(2)(a) of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 should make to facilitate development in England consisting of the installation, within the curtilage of a dwellinghouse, of equipment, apparatus or appliances for microgeneration.

Yvette Cooper: We will be issuing a summary of responses to the consultation paper on proposed changes to permitted development rights for householder microgeneration in the near future. We are currently considering the many detailed points raised and what changes, if any, are needed to the original proposals. We will then, as required by section 10 of the Climate Change and Sustainable Energy Act 2006, report to Parliament on the detailed changes for householder microgeneration we propose to make. The necessary changes to secondary legislation will be made as soon as possible after that.

Parish Councils: Audit

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many times the Audit Commission has charged a parish council for inspecting and auditing complaints about accounts made by members of the public under sections 15 and 16 of the Audit Commission Act 1998 in each year since 1998; and what total revenue has been raised from parish councils for such services.

John Healey: This is an operational matter for the Audit Commission and I have asked the Chief Executive of the Audit Commission to write to the hon. Member directly.
	 Letter from Steve Bundred, dated 22 October 2007:
	Further to my letter dated 18 October in answer to your Parliamentary Question above, I am pleased to provide you with the information promised. We are unable to provide figures for 1998-2001. These would, in any event, relate to the previous reporting and audit regime which was quite different to, and significantly more expensive than, the current arrangements that we introduced from 2001-2002. The information would not, therefore, be properly comparable.
	
		
			  Audit year  Completed parish council audits  Total audit fees (£)  Scale audit fees (£)  Additional fees (£)  Percentage 
			 2001-2002 9,324 1,295,017 1,256,586 38,431 3.1 
			 2002-2003 9,312 1,392,138 1,331,864 60,274 4.5 
			 2003-2004 9,293 1,477,026 1,382,128 94,898 6.9 
			 2004-2005 9,267 1,615,681 1,567,065 48,616 3.1 
			 2005-2006 9,154 1,745,320 1,708,297 37,023 2.2 
			 2006-2007(1) 4,137 612,314 604,095 8,219 1.4 
			 Total 50,487 8,137,496 7,850,035 287,461 3.7 
			 (1) To date 
		
	
	The additional fees for local councils include charges, where these are made by the auditor, for the following activities which are not separately recorded:
	chasing up non-responding and/or non co-operating councils;
	correspondence required following non-compliant or incomplete annual return submissions and follow up audit work;
	additional work arising from unusual or unexpected items in the accounts, or material variations in the accounts;
	matters arising during the audit requiring expert technical or legal support;
	questions from the public and matters brought to the attention of the auditor outside the inspection and audit period;
	enquiries about the accounts from clerks, members and other interested parties;
	dealing with formal objections to the accounts from electors;
	co-operating with the police in fraud and corruption cases; and
	exercising or considering the exercise of other special auditors' powers as required.
	The pattern of additional fees reflects the increasing awareness about governance and accountability standards brought about by the new reporting and audit arrangements for local councils since 2001. The growth in the early years confirms the need for improvements we had identified in introducing the new arrangements. The continuing reduction since 2003-2004 appears to confirm positive responses to findings reported by auditors and the subsequent improvements achieved by local councils.
	I trust that this information is helpful.
	A copy of this letter will be placed in the House of Commons Library.

Planning Permission: Flood Control

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will give the Environment Agency a veto on planning applications on floodplains.

Yvette Cooper: As part of the Government's 'Making Space for Water strategy' for flood and coastal erosion risk management, we have strengthened the role of the Environment Agency, to ensure effective management of flood risk to new development:
	i) In October 2006 we made the Environment Agency a statutory consultee on all planning applications in flood risk areas, and applications on large sites outside them, which might add to flood risk elsewhere.
	ii) On 1 January this year we introduced a planning Direction on flooding, so that where a local planning authority intends to approve a major application against which the Environment Agency has a sustained objection, we consider whether to call it in for decision by the Secretary of State.
	Taken with the clearer and stronger policy in Planning Policy Statement 25 (PPS25), we think this will ensure that flood risk is taken account of at all stages in the planning process whilst retaining the decision making role of the local authority.

Planning Portal

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment has she made of the reasons for the lack of commercial viability of the Planning Portal.

Iain Wright: The future of the Planning Portal is currently under review. An assessment of its commercial viability by the study team concluded that the best option would be a joint venture with local government, but allowing for the Portal to continue to develop commercial opportunities. We expect to announce the outcome of the review shortly.

Planning: Renewable Energy

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many developments have been approved in Greater London incorporating  (a) the Mayor's requirement for onsite renewable energy as a condition of planning permission and  (b) individual boroughs' Merton Rules.

Yvette Cooper: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Planning: Renewable Energy

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether the Climate Change Planning Policy Statement will encourage all local planning authorities to require onsite renewables in all major new developments.

Yvette Cooper: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 15 October 2007,  Official Report, columns 860-61W (question 155448).

Planning: Renewable Energy

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  whether the Merton rule will be incorporated into the Climate Change Planning Policy Statement;
	(2)  if she will include provisions for borough-wide planning requirements for onsite renewable energy in the Climate Change Planning Policy Statement.

Yvette Cooper: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him on 15 October 2007,  Official Report, columns 860-61W.

Planning: Renewable Energy

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will include representatives of the sustainable and energy efficiency industry trade associations on her Department's Climate Change Planning Policy Statement sounding board.

Yvette Cooper: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given earlier today (PQ 159384).

Planning: Renewable Energy

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will include trade associations representing the UK onsite renewable energy industry in her Department's zero carbon homes taskforce.

Yvette Cooper: The renewables industry is represented on the 2016 Taskforce by the chair of the Renewable Advisory Board's Subgroup on Microgeneration.

Planning: Renewable Energy

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether she took account of the financial value of the Merton rule to the UK's microgeneration industry in drawing up guidance on climate change in the Climate Change Planning Policy Statement.

Yvette Cooper: The consultation draft of the Planning Policy Statement (PPS): Planning and Climate Change was supported by a partial regulatory impact assessment (PRIA). The potential additional benefits of the PPS identified in the PRIA included expanded markets and demand for renewable and low-carbon technologies. While not quantifying the estimated monetary value associated with this, the PRIA states that by helping to stimulate markets for renewable, low-carbon and decentralised energy, the PPS would benefit the many small businesses active in this sector.
	As I confirmed in the answer given to the hon. Member on 15 October 2007,  Official Report, columns 860-61W, the final PPS will support local strategies that include both site (and area) specific targets and Merton rules. The final PPS will be supported by an impact assessment.

Planning: Renewable Energy

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  if she will take steps to ensure a public consultation takes place on her Department's proposals on the Merton rule in the Climate Change Planning Policy Statement;
	(2)  what representations her Department has received on the effect of the Merton rule on new house building.

Yvette Cooper: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 24 October 2007,  Official Report, columns 379-80W. The public consultation on the draft Planning Policy Statement (PPS): Planning and Climate Change took place between 13 December 2006 and 8 March 2007.

Planning: Supermarkets

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what representations she has received from supermarkets in relation to planning reform in the last 12 months; and if she will place in the Library copies of such representations.

Yvette Cooper: The Secretary of State (or her officials) has received representations from the following supermarkets in relation to planning reforms in the last 12 months:
	Asda*
	The Co-operative Movement
	Lidl
	Marks and Spencer
	Musgrave GB
	Salisbury's*
	Tesco*
	Waitrose*
	Copies are available the House of Commons Library, except for where supermarkets have asked that these remain confidential (indicated by*).

Poverty: Leeds

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will list the local government financial assistance schemes available through Leeds City Council aimed at tackling urban poverty in the area.

John Healey: The information is as follows:
	
		
			  Scheme  Allocation 2007-08 (£ million)  Purpose of funding 
			 Neighbourhood Renewal Funding (NRF) 14.938 To target resources to improve services in the most disadvantaged areas to narrow the gap between them and the rest of the country. 
			   NRF is prioritised to activities that contribute to the achievement of the Public Service Agreement (PSA) targets within the 4 LLAA Themes: 
			   Children and Young People 
			   Healthier Communities and Older People 
			   Safer and Stronger Communities 
			   Economic Development and Enterprise 
			
			 Local Enterprise Growth Initiative (LEGI) 4.770 To release the economic potential of the most deprived local areas through enterprise, thereby boosting local incomes and employment opportunities and building sustainable communities. 
			   By 2010, the programme aims: 
			   to create over 500 new businesses within areas of greatest disadvantage in Leeds, with two thirds of these started by local residents 
			   to attract 75 new businesses into these areas and provide assistance to help a further 650 existing businesses to develop 
			   in the long term: to stimulate a culture of enterprise, attract investment and create over 1,100 jobs. 
			
			 Safer and Stronger Communities Fund (SSCF): Neighbourhood Element 1.7430 The Neighbourhood Element provides funding to improve outcomes for people living in the most disadvantaged neighbourhoods—those that fall within the 3 per cent. most deprived nationally. The funding is targeted to achieve the SSCF outcome: 'to improve the quality of life for people living in disadvantaged neighbourhoods and to ensure that service providers are more responsive to neighbourhood needs and improve their delivery'. 
			   Key elements of the programme include:- 
			   Dedicated environmental management capacity; 
			   Dedicated community safety capacity linked to Neighbourhood Policing; 
			   Empty property team; 
			   Support for young people and vulnerable families; 
			   Capital resources for problem sites and public realm improvement works; 
			   Neighbourhood Management staff to lead and co-ordinate activity; 
			   Community engagement workers . 
			
			 Safer and Stronger Communities Fund (SSCF): Cleaner, Safer, Greener 1.130 Focussed upon the 3 per cent. most deprived neighbourhood, this funding will support a range of improvement works to deliver: 
			   visible on-street environmental improvements such as repairs to footpaths and highways, enhancing binyards, improving boundary treatments, and enhancing greenspaces; 
			   security measures such as the target hardening of properties vulnerable to burglary, dawn to dusk lighting targeted at areas with high numbers of older residents, gating schemes to provide security and prevent anti-social activities, and the boarding up empty properties; 
			   Activity programmes are based upon a neighbourhood assessment and Neighbourhood Improvement Plans based on meaningful consultation. 
			
			 Access to Employment; Single Pot Funding 1.11 This funding provides targeted support to help BME residents, refugees, migrant workers, claimants aged over 50, lone parents and incapacity benefit recipients into work. Support will be provided through: 
			   job brokerage programmes that better link individuals with recruiting employers; 
			   work to address barriers to the labour market faced by individuals and subsequent support required to assist them; 
			   work with employers to provide employment opportunities for disadvantaged residents in growth sectors that are experiencing recruitment difficulties, including financial and professional services, construction and healthcare; 
			   innovative and pilot activity to develop new methods of working and good practice 
		
	
	Details can be found on the following websites:
	www.leeds.gov.uk
	www.neighbourhoods.gov.uk
	www.leedsinitiative.org

Public Expenditure: Valuation

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will  (a) break down by subheading and  (b) indicate the purpose of the public expenditure under the heading of valuation services listed on page 37 of her Department's resource accounts for 2006-07 (HC 836).

John Healey: The purpose of the spending on this line in the resource account is to enable the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) to carry out valuations of properties to form the basis on which council tax and national non domestic rates bills can be calculated.
	The sum is used by the VOA to cover salary, accommodation and other costs, the latter including all the information systems, processes, technology and training necessary to support the maintenance of some 25 million entries in the local taxation lists.

Regeneration

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which localities are zoned as growth areas; and on what date each was designated as such.

Yvette Cooper: Regional Planning Guidance for London and the rest of the South East (RPG9) in 2000 identified the potential for significant growth in the Thames Gateway, Milton Keynes-South Midlands, Ashford and London-Stansted-Cambridge areas. Following studies into the potential for growth in these areas, the Government confirmed on 18 July 2002 that it would work with regional and local partners in each of these four growth areas to establish where, at what scale, and how quickly growth could be achieved. The Sustainable Communities Plan, 'Sustainable Communities: Building for the Future', published on 5 February 2003, announced confirmation of Thames Gateway and the three other growth areas together with funding support and said that working with regional planning bodies and local authorities Government would take forward growth plans for those areas through revisions of regional planning guidance, in the regional planning process.

Regeneration

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what areas are designated as new growth point partnership areas.

Yvette Cooper: On 24 October 2006, 29 local authorities and partnerships were named as New Growth Points commencing a long-term partnership for growth with Government.
	
		
			  New growth points  
			  East Midlands  
			 Three cities and three counties Derby city council, Derbyshire CC, Leicester city council, Leicestershire CC, Nottingham city council, Nottinghamshire CC 
			 Grantham South Kesteven DC and Lincolnshire CC 
			 Lincoln Lincolnshire CC, City of Lincoln council, North Kesteven DC and West Lindsey DC 
			 Newark on Trent Newark and Sherwood DC 
			   
			  East of England  
			 Haven Gateway Babergh DC, Colchester BC, Essex CC, Ipswich BC, Suffolk Coastal DC, Suffolk CC, Tendring DC 
			 Norwich Norwich City Council, Norfolk CC, Broadland DC, South Norfolk council, the Broads Authority 
			 Thetford Breckland council, Thetford Town council, Norfolk CC 
			   
			  South East  
			 Basingstoke Basingstoke and Deane BC 
			 Didcot South Oxfordshire DC 
			 Maidstone Maidstone BC 
			 Oxford Oxford city council 
			 Partnership for Urban South Hampshire East Hampshire DC, Eastleigh BC, Fareham BC, Gosport BC, Hampshire CC, Havant BC, New Forest DC, Portsmouth city council, Southampton city council, Test Valley BC, Winchester DC 
			 Reading Reading BC 
			 Reigate and Banstead Reigate and Banstead BC 
			   
			  South West  
			 Exeter and East Devon Exeter city council, East Devon DC and Devon CC 
			 Plymouth Plymouth city council 
			 Poole The borough of Poole 
			 Swindon Swindon BC 
			 Taunton Taunton Deane BC and Somerset CC 
			 Torbay Torbay council 
			 Truro Carrick DC and Cornwall CC 
			 West of England Bristol city council, Bath and North East Somerset council, North Somerset council and South Gloucestershire council 
			   
			  West Midlands  
			 Birmingham and Solihull Birmingham city council and Solihull MBC 
			 Coventry Coventry city council 
			 Telford The borough of Telford and Wrekin 
			 East Staffordshire East Staffordshire BC 
			 Hereford Herefordshire council 
			 Shrewsbury and Atcham Shrewsbury and Atcham BC and Shropshire CC 
			 Worcester Worcestershire CC, Worcester city council, Wychavon DC and Malvern Hills DC

Regional Authorities: Renewable Energy

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which regional authorities have included a Merton planning rule requiring onsite renewable energy in new developments in their regional spatial strategies.

Yvette Cooper: All updates of regional spatial strategies provide a supportive framework for using local renewable and low carbon energy in new development. The policies included by regional planning bodies in their draft revisions have varied in their approach including on the expected content of local level plans, technological preference and size of development to which the policy would be applied.

Regional Government

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. member for Beckenham of 25 July 2007,  Official Report, column 751W, on regional government, how many full-time equivalent staff in her Department are assisting each of the regional ministers.

John Healey: At present, there is 1.0 full-time equivalent staff within the Department that is supporting the development of the Regional Minister role. In addition, those providing direct support within each Government office to their respective Regional Minister are as follows:
	
		
			   Full-time equivalent 
			 Right hon. Tessa Jowell MP (London) 1.0 
			 Jonathan Shaw MP (South East) 2.0 
			 Ben Bradshaw MP (South West) 2.5 
			 Barbara Follett MP (East) 2.0 
			 Gillian Merron MP (East Midlands) 3.5 
			 Liam Byrne MP (West Midlands) 1.0 
			 Right hon. Beverley Hughes MP (North West) 2.5 
			 Right hon. Nick Brown MP (North East) 1.0 
			 Caroline Flint (Yorkshire and the Humber) 1.0 
		
	
	All posts are a redeployment of existing GO resources, not new posts.

Renewable Energy

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will list the meetings and discussions with representatives of the private sector in respect of the decision to amend the Merton rule.

Yvette Cooper: holding answer 17 September 2007
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 15 October 2007,  Official Report, columns 860-61W, confirming that councils will be able to continue with and adopt new Merton rules and that our new Planning Policy Statement on climate change will support local strategies that include both site (and area) specific targets and Merton-style rules.
	In consulting on and developing our measures to drive higher environmental performance in new development, we have had many discussions with a wide range of interested stakeholders. These have involved representatives from the private sector, including those working in the renewables and construction industries, as well as from local government and non-governmental organisations.

Renewable Energy

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  if she will estimate the total onsite renewable energy capacity which will be installed by 2010 as a result of the Merton planning rule;
	(2)  what her Department's estimate is of  (a) the number of completed Merton rule developments in England and  (b) the average change in the level of carbon dioxide emissions attributable to such developments delivered as a result of the Merton rule;
	(3)  what her Department's estimate is of the number of individual developments which gained planning approval under local planning authority Merton rules in  (a) 2005,  (b) 2006 and  (c) 2007;
	(4)  if she will estimate the total annual change in the level of carbon dioxide emissions by 2010 if every English local planning authority adopts a Merton rule requiring onsite renewable energy in all major new developments.

Yvette Cooper: Estimates of the type sought will vary substantially according to the assumptions made on matters such as the range of developments to which local policies arc applied, the expected number of developments to be completed, their energy demands, the extent to which the provision of installed equipment complies with the original planning permission and whether the technologies installed in practice provide the predicted savings. However the Government have set out a timetable for all new homes to be zero carbon by 2016. This will require significant increases in the use of renewables and we have assessed that overall implementation of this policy will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by at least 15 million tonnes of carbon dioxide a year by 2050.
	Using their own assumptions, the London of borough of Merton have estimated the demand for renewable energy arising from Merton style policies and, more recently, a study for the Greater London Authority by the London South Bank University has considered the energy performance of applications referred to the Mayor. More generally, an overview of the estimated impact of our energy measures is provided in our White Paper, "Meeting the Energy Challenge" and supporting publications.

Renewable Energy

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what her Department's definition is of the Merton planning rule.

Yvette Cooper: The London borough of Merton adopted their Unitary Development Plan in 2003 with a policy that expects new non residential developments above a threshold of l,000 sq m to incorporate renewable energy production equipment to provide at least 10 per cent. of predicted energy requirements. In doing so they were the first local authority in the UK to include a policy of this kind in a UDP. The council has been heavily involved in promoting the approach leading it to be coined the Merton Rule.

Renewable Energy

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will list the visits she has made to developments incorporating onsite renewable energy installations in the last 12 months.

Yvette Cooper: In the last 12 months, members of the CLG ministerial team have visited several developments that demonstrate both high levels of energy efficiency and good use of local renewable and low-carbon energy. These include the BowZed development in East London; the Hockney Green development in Andover; Hockerton Housing project in Nottinghamshire; Environment Trust site at Norfolk Park; Adelaide Wharf in Shoreditch; and the Building Research Establishment Innovation Centre in Watford.

Second Homes: Devon

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many homes in East Devon were classed as  (a) second homes and  (b) holiday lets in each year since 1997.

Iain Wright: Estimates for second homes in East Devon since 2002 are tabulated as follows. These are as reported by East Devon local authority through the Council Tax Base (CTB1) form.
	
		
			  East Devon 
			   Number 
			 1( )November 2002 2,041 
			 3 November 2003 2,250 
			 1 November 2004 2,478 
			 10 October 2005 2,399 
			 9 October 2006 2,282 
			  Source: Council Tax Base (CTB1) returns. 
		
	
	Figures on holiday lets are not centrally available.

Second Homes: Greater London

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many homes in each London constituency were classified as second homes in each year since 2003; and if she will make a statement.

Iain Wright: Information on second homes by constituency is not held centrally.
	Estimates are tabulated as follows by local authority and are as reported by London local authorities through the Council Tax Base (CTB1) form.
	
		
			   3 November 2003  1 November 2004  10 October 2005  9 October 2006 
			 Barking and Dagenham 49 32 32 25 
			 Barnet 2,907 2,849 2,815 2,862 
			 Bexley 55 47 38 50 
			 Brent 2,478 1,461 1,068 932 
			 Bromley 280 663 713 661 
			 Camden 3,572 3,671 3,483 3,283 
			 City of London 1,463 1,487 1,521 1,505 
			 Croydon 169 195 677 699 
			 Ealing 761 1,450 1,321 1,239 
			 Enfield 1,296 1,305 1,224 1,480 
			 Greenwich 1,005 797 744 814 
			 Hackney 45 33 63 94 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 1,297 1,986 1,933 1,923 
			 Haringey 7 149 146 145 
			 Harrow 211 927 866 609 
			 Havering 283 264 417 365 
			 Hillingdon 146 809 989 1,091 
			 Hounslow 1,302 1,258 1,042 1,012 
			 Islington 453 1,252 1,273 1,099 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 8,209 7,489 7,118 6,719 
			 Kingston upon Thames 173 513 400 355 
			 Lambeth 680 934 917 939 
			 Lewisham 467 526 488 491 
			 Merton 457 1,076 1,102 1,090 
			 Newham 1,286 1,389 1,073 1,202 
			 Redbridge 239 964 964 1,021 
			 Richmond upon Thames 868 1,321 1,192 1,133 
			 Southwark 1,545 808 715 1,180 
			 Sutton 20 77 124 107 
			 Tower Hamlets 3,170 3,809 3,899 4,016 
			 Waltham Forest 1,411 1,518 1,079 933 
			 Wandsworth (1)— (1)— 288 1,672 
			 Westminster 11,932 11,124 10,096 9,235 
			 Total London 48,236 52,183 49,820 49,981 
			 (1) Not applicable  Source: Council Tax Base (CTB1) returns

Solar Power

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the marginal cost to a housing developer of installing a domestic solar hot water system under the planning requirements of the Merton planning rule.

Yvette Cooper: The Merton rule does not set requirements for particular technologies. I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Minister for Energy on 16 October 2007,  Official Report, column 1039W, for details on the costs of installing a domestic solar hot water system.

Taxation: Business

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the estimated revenue is from business rates in England in 2007-08.

John Healey: Details of the amount of non-domestic rates local authorities in England estimate they will collect in 2007-08 can be found on the Communities and Local Government website at:
	www.local.communities.gov.uk/finance/ctax/ndr078.htm

Thames Gateway Bridge

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when she expects the Thames Gateway Bridge public inquiry to re-open.

Iain Wright: It is for the Planning Inspectorate, and not the Secretary of State, to fix the dates of the inquiry. Transport for London has recently indicated that, by early 2009, it should be in a position to provide the information requested by the Secretary of State in her letter of 25 July. We therefore consider that the earliest anticipated date for the re-opening of the inquiry is in spring 2009.

Unitary Councils: Public Participation

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when she expects to publish the summary of stakeholder responses to the public consultation on proposals for unitary status in Exeter.

John Healey: Shortly.

Urban Areas: Regeneration

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will list in date order Government  (a) reports and  (b) white papers produced relating to urban renewal and social inclusion since June 2005.

John Healey: Government reports produced from June 2005 relating to urban renewal and social inclusion. (In date order for NM Pathfinder Programme reports, New Deal for Communities reports and 'Other' reports).
	
		
			  National Evaluation: Neighbourhood management pathfinder programme funded by the Department for Communities and Local Government 
			  Title  Date 
			 Alternative Approaches to Neighbourhood Management: Wolverhampton's neighbourhood management pilot programme - Case Study November 2005 
			 Alternative Approaches to Neighbourhood Management: 6 Full Case Study Reports March 2006 
			 2005-06 Annual Review: Key findings March 2006 
			 2005-06 Annual Review: Full Research Report March 2006 
			 Research Report 25: Neighbourhood Management Theme Report: Rolling Out Neighbourhood Management March 2006 
			 Research Report 27: Alternative Approaches to Neighbourhood Management: Summary and Analysis March 2006 
			 Research Report 23: Neighbourhood Management- At The Turning Point? Programme Review 2005-2006 - Full Report and Summary March 2006 
			 Neighbourhood Management and Extended Services In And Around Schools July 2006 
			 Research Report 28: An overview of the 2003 and 2006 Round 1 Pathfinder Household Surveys August 2006 
			 Research Report 29: Neighbourhood Management Theme Report: Housing August 2006 
			 Research Report 30: Neighbourhood Management Theme Report: Services For Young People August 2006 
			 Research Report 31: Joining Up For Safer Neighbourhoods: A Theme Report From The Neighbourhood Management Pathfinder Programme National Evaluation August 2006 
			 Research Report 24: National evaluation of the Street Wardens Programme August 2006 
			 A Rough Guide to Neighbourhood Management: Making the Business Case for Neighbourhood Management November 2006 
			 Research Report 34: Neighbourhood Management Theme Report: Economic Development May 2007 
			 Research Report 35: Making Social Capital Count - An Action Learning Set Report June 2007 
			 Research Report 37: Neighbourhood Management: empowering communities, shaping places - Animal Review 2006-2007 August 2007 
			 Using Data to Improve Services - A Toolkit for Neighbourhood Management Initiatives August 2007 
			 Research Report 36: The contribution of Neighbourhood Management to cleaner and safer neighbourhoods August 2007 
			 Research Report 38: An overview of the 2004 and 2007 Round 2 Pathfinder Household Surveys: September 2007 
			   
			  New Deal for Communities, National Evaluation: Phases 1 and 2  
			 Data Analysis Paper 32: Education and Skills June 2005 
			 Estimating the impact of NDC using Labour Force data July 2005 
			 NDC Key Findings from the Survey of Beneficiaries August 2005 
			 National Evaluation of New Deal for Communities - Value for Money Strand September 2005 
			 The 39 NDC Areas Brief Pen Portraits November 2005 
			 Fear of Crime in NDC Areas: How do Perceptions Relate to Reality? November 2005 
			 Research Report 53: Teenage Pregnancy and Sexual Health November 2005 
			 Research Report 54: Improving Access to Health Care - Introducing New Services for NDC Residents November 2005 
			 Research Report 55: Relocation or Extension of Health Care Services November 2005 
			 Research Report 57: Healthy Lifestyle Interventions November 2005 
			 Health of NDC Residents: Who Has the Most to Gain? November 2005 
			 Housing and the Physical Environment: Will Residents Stay and Reap the Benefits? November 2005 
			 Research Report 62: Employment Strategies in Newham and Hull NDCs November 2005 
			 Research Report 65: Enterprise: Business Start-up in Two NDC Areas November 2005 
			 Community Involvement and Social Capital November 2005 
			 The Moving Escalator? Patterns of Residential Mobility in NDC Areas January 2007 
			 Research Report 33: An Overview of Change Data 2006 January 2007 
			 The 2006 Partnership Questionnaire': A Briefing Note June 2007 
			   
			  Other Reports  
			 A Framework for City-Regions - Working Paper 1: Mapping City-regions February 2006 
			 A Framework for City- Regions - Working Paper 2: City-Regions: Policy and Practice February 2006 
			 A Framework for City-Regions - Working Paper 3: City- Regions; Why, where are we now and how far would we need to travel? February 2006 
			 A Framework for City-Regions - Working Paper 4: The role of City-regions in regional economic development policy February 2006 
			 An exploratory assessment of the economic case for regeneration investment from a national perspective March 2006 
			 Meeting the Regional Economic Challenge: the importance of cities to regional growth, (joint Treasury, ODPM and DTI paper) March 2006 
			 The State of the English Cities Report vol. 1 and 2 March 2006 
			 The State of the English Cities (Urban Research Summary 21) March 2006 
			 The State of the English Cities: Thematic Reports: The Changing Urban Scene: Demographics and the Big Picture November 2006 
			 The State of the English Cities: Thematic Reports: Social Cohesion November 2006 
			 The State of the English Cities: Thematic Reports: The Competitive Economic Performance of English Cities November 2006 
			 The State of the English Cities: Thematic Reports: The State of American Cities November 2006 
			 The State of the English Cities: Thematic Reports: Liveability in English Cities November 2006 
			 The State of the English Cities: Thematic Reports: A Comparison of Public Attitudes in Urban and Non-Urban Areas across Different Regions November 2006 
			 Policy Papers: UK presidency EU Ministerial Informal on Sustainable Communities December 2006 
			 Report from the Local Community Sector Taskforce January 2007 
			 Local Environment Quality: A New View on Measurement May 2007 
			 CLG Third Sector Strategy for Communities and Local Government: discussion document June 2007 
			 Sub-national economic development and regeneration review (Treasury, Department for Communities and Local Government, BERRI) July 2007 
		
	
	Government White Papers produced from June 2005 relating to urban renewal and social inclusion.
	
		
			  Title  Date 
			 Strong and Prosperous Communities —The Local Government White Paper October 2006

Valuation Office

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will place in the Library copies of the presentation, speech and handouts produced by Valuation Office Agency representatives at the Institute of Revenues Rating and Valuation Annual Conference on October 2007 on  (a) the 2010 revaluation,  (b) using automated valuation models for non-domestic assessment and  (c) valuing the impossible.

John Healey: Copies of these presentations and handouts have been placed in the Library of the House.

Valuation Office: Nimbus Partners

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what  (a) services and  (b) goods the Valuation Office Agency has purchased from the company Nimbus Partners in the last five years; at what cost; and for what purpose.

Jane Kennedy: I have been asked to reply.
	The VOA has procured from Nimbus Partners, a software application known as Control Enterprise Suite. The software is used in the development and mapping of VOA processes.
	The initial purchase cost in 2003 was £186,100 excluding VAT.
	In addition the agency pay annual support and maintenance charges to Nimbus geared to the number of users since the original procurement these charges have been:
	
		
			   £ (excluding VAT) 
			 03-04 (part) 45,000 
			 04-05 52,312 
			 05-06 61,875 
			 06-07 61,875

BUSINESS, ENTERPRISE AND REGULATORY REFORM

Aerials

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will make it a requirement for mobile telecommunications operators to disclose mast locations and power levels to a Sitefinder website, or equivalent, as a condition of their operators' licences.

Stephen Timms: The Government have no plans to make such disclosure a condition of the operators' licences. We and the Office of Communications (Ofcom) remain committed to the principles underlying Sitefinder, which remains a voluntary agreement between Ofcom and the cellular operators.
	Cellular operators are in discussion with Ofcom and the Government on the future provision of data to Sitefinder so that members of the public will continue to be able to access information about the location and power levels of base stations.

Bank Services: Security

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform 
	(1)  what steps his Department is taking to strengthen the security of online banking and payment systems;
	(2)  what recent discussions he has had with the finance industry on the security of online banking and payment systems.

Stephen Timms: holding answer 11 October 2007
	The Government encourage discussion between all parties involved in tackling crimes committed using computers, and is determined to tackle the problem of card/cheque and remote banking fraud at all levels, whether it affects individual consumers or businesses. BERR is working closely with other Government departments and law enforcement agencies to ensure that the UK is a world class safe and secure online environment for everyone.
	Nearly 15 million people in the UK now use the internet to access their bank accounts, and millions more regularly shop online.
	HM Government, SOCA (the Serious Organised Crime agency ) and leading businesses have worked together to create Get Safe Online, www. getsafeonline. org. website to help individuals and small businesses protect themselves against internet threats such as viruses, spam, spyware and online fraud.

Bankruptcy

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many individual voluntary arrangements were  (a) taken out and  (b) breached in (i) the UK and (ii) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency in each of the last five years.

Patrick McFadden: It is currently not possible to provide official figures for individual voluntary arrangements (IVAs) by constituency. Further, IVAs typically last for five years and therefore statistics for later years will be increasingly skewed in favour of ongoing cases and failures in the earlier stages of the IVA. The number of IVAs registered in England and Wales and their status as at August 2007 can be seen in table 1.
	
		
			  Table 1: England and Wales 
			  IVAs registered  IVA status as at August 2007 (percentage) 
			Ongoing  Completed  Failed 
			 2002 6,295 25 50 25 
			 2003 7,583 42 33 25 
			 2004 10,752 56 20 24 
			 2005 20,293 75 9 16 
			 2006 44,332 92 3 5 
			  Note: Rounding could produce overall percentages greater or less than 100 per cent. 
		
	
	The Insolvency Service has policy responsibility relating to individual insolvency in England and Wales. For Scotland and Northern Ireland this is the responsibility of the Accountant in Bankruptcy, Scotland and the Department for Enterprise, Trade and Investment, NI, respectively. The number of voluntary insolvencies, known as Protected Trust Deeds in Scotland and IVAs in Northern Ireland, can be seen in table 2. The status of these procedures is not available from the Insolvency Service (England and Wales).
	
		
			  Table 2 
			   Scottish protected trust deeds  Northern Ireland IVAs 
			 2002 5,174 207 
			 2003 5,452 318 
			 2004 6,024 449 
			 2005 6,881 633 
			 2006 8,208 774

Bermuda

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform which  (a) Ministers and  (b) officials, broken down by grade, from his Department visited (i) Bermuda and (ii) Barbados in each year between 1998 and 2006; and what the reason was for each visit.

Gareth Thomas: There is no record over this period of a visit to Bermuda by a Minister or official from the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR), or its predecessor Department. No Minister from BERR has visited Barbados over this period.
	Details of visits by officials to Barbados are as follows:
	
		
			  Year visited  Grade  Reason for visit 
			 June 1998 Export Promoter Trade mission 
			 November 1998 Range 8 Accompanied trade mission 
			 November 1999 Export Promoter Accompanied trade mission 
			 February 2002 Range 10 Resource management 
			 April 2002 Range 6 Accompanied trade mission 
			 May 2003 Range 8 Accompanied trade mission 
			 September 2003 Range 8 Accompanied trade mission 
			 September 2003 Range 11 Accompanied trade mission 
			 November 2003 Range 11 Accompanied trade mission 
			 February 2004 Range 6 Pre-mission work 
			 February 2004 Range 6 Pre-mission work 
			 March 2004 Range 10 Led trade mission 
			 September 2004 Range 8 Accompanied trade mission 
			 September 2004 Export Promoter Accompanied trade mission 
			 December 2004 Deputy Director Follow up on trade mission 
			 February 2005 Export Promoter Accompanied trade mission 
			 February 2005 Range 8 Accompanied trade mission 
			 October 2005 Export Promoter Accompanied trade mission 
			 October 2005 Range 8 Accompanied trade mission 
			 November 2006 Range 6 Accompanied trade mission

Conditions of Employment

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what steps he plans to take to raise awareness among employers and employees of the extension of statutory leave entitlement.

Patrick McFadden: The Government undertook two full consultations on the proposals to increase the holiday entitlement, holding a number of regional meetings and working closely with unions and employer organisations. Specific efforts were made to engage small businesses and employers in key sectors likely to be particularly affected. The ability to receive email updates on the proposals was offered and over 8,000 people requested updates on progress. The proposals also attracted considerable media coverage on a number of occasions.
	Detailed guidance for employers and workers, including an interactive calculator for holiday entitlements, has been placed on the Business Link and Direct.gov websites respectively, with supporting material on BERR's own website.

Departments: Assets

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what departmental assets are planned to be sold in each financial year from 2007-08 to 2010-11; what the  (a) description and  (b) book value of each such asset is; and what the expected revenue from each such sale is.

Gareth Thomas: The Core Department, together with its Agencies, has a relatively small stock of tangible fixed assets. It consists primarily of the office buildings, furniture, IT and other office equipment that is necessary for the workforce to operate effectively, Most of the Department's tangible fixed assets are held by its delivery partners, primarily the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and the Regional Development Agencies.
	The Department has reviewed its asset stock to ascertain where value-for-money can be delivered through future disposal. However, a conclusion has been reached that there is currently no likelihood of future asset disposals, and this decision is reflected in the Department's CSR settlement.

Departments: Civil Proceedings

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many civil law suits have been brought against his Department in which proceedings are no longer ongoing based either wholly or partially on the grounds of the Human Rights Act 1998; how many were settled out of court, before a court judgement was delivered; and how much such settlements cost since the Act came into effect.

Gareth Thomas: We do not collect central records of all cases in which the Human Rights Act 1998 is relied on. Human rights are now integrated in the general law and are rarely the sole basis for a challenge. For this reason the information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departments: Closures

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what policy changes his Department has implemented since 27 June 2007.

Gareth Thomas: The Department has implemented a number of new and changed policies since 27 June 2007. My Department has kept Parliament fully informed of these changes. For example we have announced:
	A draft code of practice for regulators. The Regulators' Compliance Code is a statutory code of practice aimed at improving the way regulators enforce regulations (laid before Parliament on 16 October 2007).
	A new study into the feasibility of a Severn Barrage to exploit the tidal energy resource in the Severn Estuary. This decision reflects the conclusions of a report, commissioned by Government in July 2006, by the Sustainable Development Commission (SDC) into the potential for tidal power in the UK. The feasibility study will consider the environmental, social and economic aspects of a Severn barrage, 17 October 2007,  Official Report, columns 1151-52W.
	Our response to the consultation on the draft Regulatory Enforcement and Sanctions Bill. This will lead to a Bill that will be introduced when parliamentary time allows which will extend sanctioning powers for regulators dealing with non-compliance with regulation.
	As part of the pre-Budget report (9 October) the high-level portfolio of products from which business support will be provided in the future.
	The publication of the document "Next Steps on Regulatory Reform" which sets out a range of initiatives that will help realise the benefits of better regulation for businesses, third sector organisations and the public sector front line, 25 July 2007,  Official Report, column 64WS.
	As part of publication of the Next Steps on Regulatory Reform launched a thorough-going Consumer Law Simplification Review in July 2007, to assess the scope for further reductions in the burdens on business, without diminishing consumer protection.

Departments: Cost Effectiveness

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what efficiency savings his Department was required to make as part of its Spending Review 2004 (SR04) targets; what efficiency projects have been undertaken in the Department in pursuit of those targets; on what date each was initiated; and how much each was predicted to contribute to the SR04 target.

Gareth Thomas: DTI's Spending Review 2004 efficiency savings projects were initiated in April 2005. (SR04) targets and actuals for each of these efficiency savings work streams are set out in the following table. At the end of the second year of the three year programme these efficiency savings work streams had contributed £484 million efficiency savings against the overall £408 million SR04 target.
	
		
			  £ million 
			  SR04 Efficiency Work stream  2005-06 delivery (year one)  2006-07 delivery (year two)  2006-07 target (year two)  SR04 overall target 
			  Financial efficiency gains  N/C  C  N/C  C  N/C  C  N/C  C 
			 Staff reductions 0.00 33.71 0.00 37.63 0.00 28.24 0.00 39.25 
			 Internal Operations 4.25 11.85 -0.12 31.98 11.62 13.59 20.29 13.96 
			 Value for money in programme spend 0.00 1.92 27.09 5.82 6.21 18.11 12.42 20.07 
			 Business Support (inc. SFIE) 0.00 27.50 0.00 70.21 0.00 34.20 0.00 41.36 
			 Science DTI and Research Councils 26.31 50.58 86.79 125.96 48.64 77.50 79.79 115.39 
			 Nuclear Decommissioning Authority n/a n/a 0.00 40.00 0.00 6.68 0.00 13.72 
			 RDAs (DTI) 2.92 3.06 9.64 12.39 6.09 10.47 9.32 14.59 
			 Trading Funds (Companies House and Patent Office) 2.40 0.00 2.40 0.00 6.85 0.00 10.55 0.00 
			 Other Agencies and NDPBs 4.54 2.22 8.84 7.31 6.19 5.51 7.22 10.59 
			 Exceptional items 0.24 12.91 0.24 18.08 n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Total (DTI) 40.66 143.75 134.88 349.38 85.60 194.30 139.59 268.93 
			  Source:  Department of Trade and Industry Annual Report and Accounts 2006-07 [section 3.110]

Departments: Disabled People

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform which buildings occupied by his Department  (a) are and  (b) are not fully accessible to disabled people; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: The Department's HQ estate is fully accessible to disabled people.

Departments: Flint Bishop

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether  (a) his Department and its predecessor and  (b) its agencies have made payments to Flint Bishop solicitors since 1997.

Gareth Thomas: A total of £19,944.30 has been paid to Flint Bishop & Barnett solicitors between 4 April 2000 and 1 September 2004 in respect of coal health claims.
	Central records indicate that no other payments have been made.
	I have asked the Chief Executives of the Executive Agencies to respond directly to the hon. Member.
	Further information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departments: Official Visits

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform on how many occasions he has visited each region in an official capacity in the last 12 months.

John Hutton: My predecessor and I, as Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (until 28 June) and for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, have made the following visits on ministerial business in the last 12 months.
	
		
			   Number 
			 North East 3 
			 North West 3 
			 East of England 2 
			 South West 2 
			 South East 3 
			 East Midlands 1 
			 West Midlands 0 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 2

Departments: Performance Appraisal

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many staff in his Department did not achieve an acceptable mark in their annual report in 2006-07.

Gareth Thomas: The former Department of Trade and Industry is not able to provide the information about the numbers of staff who did not achieve an acceptable mark in their annual report in each of the last three years. In line with best practice, it is our policy not to allow the breakdown of groups to the extent where anonymity of individuals may be compromised (and we do therefore frequently summarise responses).
	Where staff are given an unacceptable box marking under formal inefficiency proceedings this has to be addressed as soon as it occurs rather than waiting for the appraisal cycle to complete. Central records record cases of poor performance current at the end of the appraisal year. An unacceptable box marking is awarded where an individual consistently fails to achieve agreed work priorities and/or behaviours.

Departments: Public Expenditure

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform in which financial years since 2001 his Department's outturn for its capital budget at the end of the year was less than planned at the beginning of the year; and what the  (a) value and  (b) reason for the underspend was in each case.

Gareth Thomas: The National Audit Office measures spending performance against plans by comparing outturns against final provision following supplementary estimates—rather than against plans at the start of the year—as plans can change during the year for a number of reasons, such as machinery of government and classification changes.
	The definitive figures for final provision and provisional outturn are published each year in the "Public Expenditure Outturns White Paper". Changes to plans arising in-year are published in "Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses", as are differences between provisional and final outturns.

Departments: Written Questions

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many and what percentage of questions tabled to his Department for answer on a named day received a substantive reply on the day named in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Gareth Thomas: A total of 621 named day questions were received this Session, of which 216 received a substantive reply on the day specified—35 per cent.

Energy: Conservation

Colin Challen: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what steps his Department is taking to encourage the use of real time electricity display devices.

Malcolm Wicks: The Department is currently consulting on the metering and billing proposals that the Government made in the Energy White Paper. This consultation, which will end on 31 October, seeks views on the proposal that display devices should be provided by a supplier when it replaces or installs an electricity meter, and, for a two-year period, when a customer requests a device from his electricity supplier.

Export Credit Guarantees

Roger Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform pursuant to the Answer of 23 July 2007,  Official Report, column 902W, on export credits guarantees, which company made each non-standard application in respect of which country in each case; and what type of product was involved in each such application.

Malcolm Wicks: The information requested is as follows:
	
		
			  Company  Country  Product 
			 BAE Systems (Operations) Ltd. Saudi Arabia Bespoke indemnity derived from Export Insurance Policy 
			 BAE Systems (Operations) Ltd. Saudi Arabia Bespoke indemnity derived from Export Insurance Policy 
			 Sovereign Star Ltd. Brazil Export Insurance Policy 
		
	
	If ECGD receives an approach to cover transactions whose nature and structure is such that a standard application form would not be suitable or appropriate, ECGD produces a non-standard application form to meet the needs of such business. However, many of the features of the standard application form would still apply; for example, the anti-bribery and corruption requirements would be included as a matter of course.

Foreign Workers

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many overseas workers worked in the UK in 2006; what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the effect of those workers on the UK economy; and if he will make a statement.

Patrick McFadden: According to the Labour Force Survey in 2006, 11.3 per cent. of people employed in the UK were born overseas. The Government published their submission on "The Economic and Fiscal Impact of Immigration" to the House of Lords Select Committee on Economic Affairs on 16 October, in which the Treasury estimated that migration had contributed around £6 billion to output growth in 2006.

Fuel Poverty

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many households in  (a) Southend,  (b) each borough in Essex,  (c) each borough in Kent,  (d) the Metropolitan Police area of London and  (e) England and Wales are in fuel poverty; what steps he has (i) taken and (ii) plans to take to reduce these numbers; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: Official fuel poverty statistics are currently only available at Government Office Region level. Latest available figures for England are sourced from the 2004 English House Condition Survey, while Welsh figures are sourced from the Living in Wales survey. Official figures for fuel poverty at available geographies are given as follows.
	
		
			  Area  Number of households in fuel poverty  Percentage of households in fuel poverty 
			 England 1,236,000 6 
			 Wales 134,000 11 
			 London Government Office Region 119,000 4 
		
	
	A fuel poverty indicator giving estimates of the level of fuel poverty in small areas of England was launched on 25 May 2007. These statistics correspond to 2003 at lower super output area, a geography that splits England into 32,482 areas. The methodology used in constructing the indicator is broadly equivalent to the official methodology, however some differences remain.
	
		
			  Area: Essex 
			  Borough  Number of households in fuel poverty  Percentage of households in fuel poverty 
			 Basildon 3,951 6 
			 Braintree 3,207 6 
			 Brentwood 1,550 5 
			 Castle Point 2,006 6 
			 Chelmsford 3,574 6 
			 Colchester 3,796 6 
			 Epping Forest 2,722 5 
			 Harlow 1,736 5 
			 Maldon 1,435 6 
			 Rochford 1,775 6 
			 Southend on Sea 4,383 6 
			 Tendring 3,864 6 
			 Thurrock 3,385 6 
			 Uttlesford 1,634 6 
		
	
	
		
			  Area: Kent 
			  Borough  Number of households in fuel poverty  Percentage of households in fuel poverty 
			 Ashfield 3,151 7 
			 Canterbury 3,343 6 
			 Dartford 2,004 6 
			 Dover 2,886 7 
			 Maidstone 3,272 6 
			 Medway 6,203 6 
			 Sevenoaks 2,475 6 
			 Shepway 2,559 6 
			 Swale 3,136 6 
			 Thanet 3,657 7 
			 Tonbridge and Mailing 2,434 6 
			 Tunbridge Wells 2,480 6 
		
	
	We have taken a number of steps to tackle fuel poverty. DEFRA leads on the Warm Front programme in England. The Warm Front scheme, and its equivalents in the Devolved Administrations, has resulted in improvements to the energy efficiency of the housing of those on a range of qualifying benefits. Winter fuel payments significantly help with fuel costs in coldest months.
	Other measures that have had a positive impact include CLG's Decent Homes Standard; local authority programmes; and the systematic approach adopted in a number of warm zone areas. The Energy Efficiency Commitment for 2005-08 requires electricity and gas suppliers to meet targets for the promotion of improvements in domestic energy efficiency to a priority group of low income consumers.
	We have taken further steps to increase efforts to tackle fuel poverty in the Energy White Paper and we are currently taking forward the implementation of these actions, which include improved Government communications during winter, further encouragement of suppliers to direct assistance at their vulnerable customers, improvements to Government schemes and better use of information held by Government. Next steps will be set out in the Fifth Annual Fuel Poverty Progress Report.

Fuel Poverty

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what research has been  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated by his Department on the effect of the Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000 in reducing fuel poverty; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: We actively monitor progress towards the targets set out in the Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000. Progress towards and policies to achieve these goals are set out in the UK Fuel Poverty Strategy Annual Progress Reports.

Fuels: Prices

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform 
	(1)  what discussions he has had with national suppliers of  (a) unleaded and  (b) diesel on regional variations in the price of petrol; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what accountability mechanisms his Department uses to ensure the fair and competitive pricing of petrol; what complaint procedures are in place to allow customers to challenge regional variations in pricing; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what estimate he has made of the average difference in the price of  (a) unleaded and  (b) diesel between urban and rural areas; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  how many investigations of price-fixing in the petrol industry there were in each of the last five years; and how many of those investigations resulted in action being taken against the companies concerned;
	(5)  pursuant to the Answer of 10 September 2007,  Official Report, column 2030W, on fuel prices, what assessment he has made of the price variations for  (a) unleaded and  (b) diesel within the South West; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 22 October 2007
	 The Department has discussions with companies and representative associations in the downstream oil sector on a wide range of issues. BERR does not collect information on regional petrol prices. A range of factors determine retail petrol and diesel prices. Price differentials between rural and urban areas reflect different costs in distributing and supplying petrol and diesel. Price setting is a commercial matter for individual companies. The Office of Fair Trading continues to monitor the UK petrol market to ensure that anti-competitive behaviour does not occur. Customers should refer any complaints concerning pricing and anti-competitive behaviour to the Office of Fair Trading. In the past five years there has been one investigation, carried out by the Office of Fair Trading in 2006, and this did not result in any action against the companies concerned.

Heathrow Airport: Standards

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will establish a mechanism to provide incentives for BAA to spend money to improve conditions for passengers at Heathrow airport.

Jim Fitzpatrick: I have been asked to reply.
	Such mechanisms already exist. As part of its economic regulation of airport charges at Heathrow (under Part IV of the Airports Act 1986), the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) put in place in 2003 a regime of service quality targets for BAA with financial penalties if these targets were not met on a month-by-month basis. Similar targets and penalties are also in place at Gatwick airport. As part of the current review of price controls and other economic regulation of Heathrow and Gatwick, the Competition Commission has recently recommended strengthening and extending this scheme.
	In addition, the CAA through its price controls encourages timely investment in facilities, many of which are designed to improve conditions for passengers. This has provided sufficient incentive for BAA to bring forward investment in Terminal 5, which is scheduled to open in March 2008 as planned, and which should significantly enhance passenger experience across the airport. Looking forward, the Competition Commission has recently recommended that future investment at Heathrow be further incentivised through greater financial penalties for later delivery of projects.
	The CAA will be consulting on its regulatory proposals, in light of the Commission's recommendations, in November, with a view to setting new controls on Heathrow and Gatwick in early 2008 for the five years 2008-13.

Industrial Diseases: Compensation

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many former miners' compensation claims have been under consideration for longer than  (a) four,  (b) five,  (c) six,  (d) seven and  (e) eight years since first application; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: The number of coal health claims that are outstanding as at 14 October 2007 for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and Vibration White Finger (VWF) broken down as requested are shown in the table as follows:
	
		
			  Claim outstanding age bands  COPD  VWF 
			 4 years to < 5 years 28,017 44 
			 5 years to < 6 years 4,753 1,988 
			 6 years to < 7 years 4,372 1,112 
			 7 years to < 8 years 3,220 5,152 
			 8 years or greater 7,575 3,363 
			 Total claims outstanding for more than 4 years 47,973 11,659 
		
	
	The aforementioned table shows the total number of claims outstanding for more than four years not yet settled by payment, denial, withdrawal or strike out. The main reasons why these claims are outstanding are that the Department's claims handlers, Capita, are awaiting responses to offers, more information is needed to reach assessment stage, or they are subject to delays due to co-defendants involvement.

Industrial Diseases: Compensation

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what average level of damages has been recovered by the 10 firms of solicitors with the highest number of cases registered under  (a) the British Coal Vibration White Finger scheme and  (b) the British Coal Respiratory Disease scheme in relation to those schemes.

Malcolm Wicks: The average amount of damages recovered by the 10 firms of claimants' representatives with the highest volume of claims for Vibration White Finger (VWF) and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) as at 14 October 2007 is shown on the following table:
	
		
			  Claimants' representatives  Claims registered  Average damages paid on claims settled by payment  (£) 
			  V ibration  W hite  F inger   
			 Thompsons Solicitors 21,074 15,111 
			 Browell Smith and Co 16,463 10,025 
			 Beresfords Solicitors 11,621 9,794 
			 Union of Democratic Mineworkers 11,527 10,302 
			 Raleys Solicitors 11,280 11,068 
			 Hugh James 10,637 10,659 
			 Graysons Solicitors 8,700 14,425 
			 Moss Solicitors 7,389 9,951 
			 Watson Burton LLP 5,934 15,896 
			 Towells Solicitors 5,357 11,984 
			
			  C hronic  O bstructive  P ulmonary  D isease   
			 Beresfords Solicitors 80,841 2,458 
			 Thompsons Solicitors 57,968 9,289 
			 Hugh James 56,801 7,550 
			 Raleys Solicitors 48,864 6,102 
			 Browell Smith and Co 32,973 6,724 
			 Avalon Solicitors 32,422 2,113 
			 Mark Gilbert Morse 25,724 7,437 
			 Union Of Democratic Mineworkers 16,596 3,179 
			 Barber and Co 14,091 2,705 
			 Watson Burton LLP 14,073 4,353

Industrial Diseases: Compensation

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many addresses of miners with compensation claims have been released to the Law Society for communications about solicitors double charging; and how many are due to be released in 2007.

Malcolm Wicks: The Department has released 3,644 miners' addresses to the Legal Complaints Services (LCS) to inform miners of their rights regarding solicitors fees with respect to coal health claims as part of the pilot in the Rother Valley constituency.
	The LCS are currently evaluating the outcome of the pilot. Once this evaluation is complete, a decision will be made on next steps.

Industrial Diseases: Compensation

Dennis Skinner: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many claims for  (a) miners' hearing loss,  (b) vibration white finger and  (c) chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were paid in Bolsover constituency in each of the last seven years.

Malcolm Wicks: The number of claims settled by payment for miners hearing loss (NIHL), vibration white finger (VWF) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) claims in the Bolsover constituency as at 21 October 2007 are shown in the following table.
	
		
			   NIHL  VWF  COPD 
			 2000 322 59 174 
			 2001 806 155 362 
			 2002 406 372 673 
			 2003 203 614 1,534 
			 2004 144 621 1,484 
			 2005 169 806 2,536 
			 2006 87 869 1,789 
			 2007 22 1,055 785

Industrial Diseases: Compensation

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many former miners' health compensation claims are unresolved in  (a) Hemsworth constituency and  (b) West Yorkshire.

Malcolm Wicks: The number of former miners' coal health claims that are outstanding for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and Vibration White Finger (VWF) for Hemsworth constituency and West Yorkshire as at 30 September 2007 is shown in the following table:
	
		
			   Area  Total claims  Total outstanding claims 
			 COPD Hemsworth 11,201 1,361 
			  West Yorkshire 35,428 5,197 
			 
			 VWF Hemsworth 4,854 304 
			  West Yorkshire 12,090 739 
		
	
	Total outstanding claims are those that have not yet been settled by payment, denial, withdrawal or strike out.
	West Yorkshire is defined using the following constituencies:
	Batley And Spen Borough
	Bradford North Borough
	Bradford South Borough
	Bradford West Borough
	Calder Valley
	Colne Valley
	Dewsbury
	Elmet
	Halifax Borough
	Hemsworth
	Huddersfield Borough
	Keighley
	Leeds Central Borough
	Leeds East Borough
	Leeds North East Borough
	Leeds North West Borough
	Leeds West Borough
	Morley and Rothwell Borough
	Normanton
	Pontefract and Castleford
	Pudsey Borough
	Shipley and Wakefield.

Industrial Disputes: Arbitration

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what research his Department has undertaken on mediation in employment disputes in the last 12 years.

Patrick McFadden: This Department commissions periodic surveys of claimants and employer respondents which include information related to Acas conciliation and the role of parties' representatives. The last survey was carried out in 2003, and the findings published in the Employee Relations Survey Report No. 33 "Findings from the Survey of Employment Tribunal Applications 2003". The next survey is expected to take place in 2008 and will include questions on the parties' attitudes to mediation.

Members: Correspondence

Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform when he expects to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire of 10 September on climate change and UK energy.

Malcolm Wicks: I responded to the hon. Member's letter on 18 September. A copy of my letter has been faxed to the hon. Member's parliamentary office.

Microgeneration: Climate Change

Helen Southworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what his assessment is of the potential contribution of microgeneration in the UK to tackling climate change; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: As recognised by the Microgeneration Strategy, microgeneration has a significant role to play in meeting our energy policy goal of sustainable and secure energy for all. It will help meet our goal of cutting CO2 emissions by 60 per cent. by 2050. We have recently commissioned research which will quantify the future potential of microgeneration which is due to be completed by spring 2008.

Migrant Workers: Conditions of Employment

Jon Cruddas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what measures he is taking to encourage migrant workers to report instances of forced labour and exploitation.

Patrick McFadden: Steps have been taken to raise migrant workers' awareness of their workplace rights and how to report instances of abuse. All accession country (A8 and A2) workers required to register under the Home Office's Worker Registration Scheme now receive a one page 'Know Your Rights' leaflet alongside their registration documents. The leaflet—available in six languages—includes telephone numbers and website addresses for the workplace enforcement bodies and other advice bodies. 'Know Before You Go' leaflets are also available to Lithuanian, Polish and Portuguese nationals before they leave for the UK.
	It is now easier for migrant workers, whose main language is not English, to report instances of abuse to the workplace enforcement bodies. Translation services are available for those who wish to use the various enforcement helplines, and complaints can be submitted by e-mail. Reports about abuses of the National Minimum Wage regulations, for example, can be made to the helpline on 0845 6000 678 or via e mail using the complaint form at www.hmrc.gov.uk/nmw/complaint.htm. Where migrant workers work through an employment agency, and they have concerns about mistreatment, they can contact the Employment Agency Standards helpline on 0845 955 5105, or send an email to eas@berr.gsi. gov.uk.
	This year's enhanced National Minimum Wage publicity work includes a campaign targeted at migrant workers, including publicity for the NMW helpline. Other enforcement bodies such as the Health and Safety Executive and the Gangmasters Licensing Authority also have publicity and awareness-raising work in train aimed at migrant workers.
	The Department's Vulnerable Worker Enforcement Forum, set up to look at employment rights abuses, and identify ways of improving the enforcement framework is considering, as part of its work, whether more can be done to encourage vulnerable workers, including vulnerable migrant workers, to report problems.

Nuclear Decommissioning Authority: Finance

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the budget is for the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority for  (a) 2007-08,  (b) 2008-09,  (c) 2009-10 and  (d) 2010-11.

Malcolm Wicks: The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) has a programme budget settlement of some £2.47 billion for 2007-08. The Authority believes that this settlement will give it and its contractors the certainty they need without impacting on the planned programme of nuclear clean up work. The settlement strikes a proper balance between what is desirable and what is affordable, and it ensures that safety remains the paramount concern.
	Over the Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) 2007 period, the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform will oversee the NDA to ensure that the UK's civil nuclear liabilities continue to be managed safely, securely and cost effectively. The NDA will be informed of their settlement shortly.

Nuclear Power Stations

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what representations he has received from  (a) industry and  (b) other parties regarding the timescale for making a decision on new nuclear power plants.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 16 October 2007
	The Nuclear Consultation process ended on 10 October 2007.
	We have received over 2,500 responses by website and post from stakeholders and the general public, which we will publish except where the respondents have asked for their responses to remain confidential.
	We will make a decision, after we have carefully considered and analysed all the responses and information we have received during the consultation period.

Nuclear Power Stations: Repairs and Maintenance

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what discussions he has had with British Energy on the number of nuclear power stations it has shut for maintenance and repair; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: On 22 October, British Energy updated the market on the status of its Hartlepool and Heysham 1 nuclear power stations. Operational issues are a matter for BE, which is a publicly listed company, and so it would be inappropriate for Government to comment any further.
	Our electricity system is among the most resilient in the world. All power plants suffer unplanned outages from time to time, which is precisely why there is a safety margin of extra generation for electricity. Even if the nuclear plants taken out of action this week remain out of service through the winter, National Grid still expects there to be 19 per cent. more available electricity generation capacity than will be needed at times of highest demand.

Nuclear Power: Public Participation

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what representations his Department has made to the Market Research Standards Board's investigation into the Government's nuclear power consultation; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: Opinion Leader were appointed by the Department in April this year to conduct deliberative research with the public, as one part of the Government's consultation on the future of nuclear power. Greenpeace have made a complaint to the Market Research Standards Council, the professional body which operates a code of conduct for those working in the sector, about Opinion Leader's conduct of this research. I understand that the Council has launched an investigation. My Department has not so far been asked by the Market Research Standards Council to make representations, and has not done so.

Nuclear Power: Public Participation

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the value is of the contract with Opinion Leader Research for the consultation on nuclear energy.

Malcolm Wicks: Opinion Leader were appointed by the Department in April this year to conduct deliberative research with the public, as one part of the Government's consultation on the future of nuclear power.
	The total value of their contract is £772,626. Of this amount £655,452 was paid to Opinion Leader for activities associated with the design, delivery and reporting for the public deliberative events, and the remaining £117,174 has been paid to cover the costs of Dialogue by Design, a specialist sub-contractor who have managed the online consultation website on behalf of the Department. The final costs of the web-based activity have yet to be determined as they are dependent on the volume of materials received.

Nuclear Power: Public Participation

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the tendering process was for selecting Opinion Leader Research for the consultation on nuclear energy.

Malcolm Wicks: Opinion Leader Research were appointed by the Department in April this year to conduct deliberative research with the public, as one part of the Government's consultation on the future of nuclear power. They were appointed following a competitive tendering process, which involved three agencies with whom COI hold framework agreements, and the process was overseen and managed by COI.

Oil: Cardigan Bay

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform which companies have applied for licences in Cardigan Bay in the 24(th) licensing round.

Malcolm Wicks: In order to ensure commercial interests are not prejudiced and so as not to undermine the competitive process we do not publish the names of applicants for particular blocks. The names of winning applicants are made public at the time of any award.

Overseas Trade: Milk

Michael Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much milk was  (a) exported to and  (b) imported from the Netherlands in each of the last 10 years.

Gareth Thomas: Overseas trade statistics data give the following figures for UK trade in milk and cream with the Netherlands:
	
		
			  Thousand tonnes 
			   UK exports of milk and cream to the Netherlands  UK imports of milk and cream from the Netherlands 
			 1997 64.6 5.4 
			 1998 31.1 6.8 
			 1999 28.6 8.0 
			 2000 22.9 8.0 
			 2001 19.2 7.0 
			 2002 41.3 7.5 
			 2003 23.0 13.1 
			 2004 13.3 15.2 
			 2005 6.1 19.6 
			 2006 11.5 29.3

Parental Leave

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what information his Department holds on the relationship between the take-up of parental leave and the income band of those eligible for such leave.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 25 October 2007
	 The Department does not collect any administrative data on parental leave take-up. Some estimates of take-up can be made from survey data, however no survey data are available which provides a complete answer to the tabled question.
	The Maternity and Paternity Rights: Survey of Parents was conducted in 2005, with a sample of mothers and their partners who had had a baby approximately 17 months earlier in December 2003. Analysis of this data shows that for both mothers and fathers in work after the birth of their child, there is no statistically significant relationship between income band and take-up of parental leave. It should be borne in mind that this data is representative of only a subset of all workers eligible for this form of leave. Pages 36/37 and 85/86 of the survey report, available at http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file27446.pdf. present these findings.

Post Office: Reorganisation

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the average hourly rate paid to his Department's advisers on the restructuring of the post office network was; and where those advisers were located.

Patrick McFadden: It would not be appropriate to give the hourly rates for the individual advisers used on the post office network restructuring as this is commercially confidential information. The combined average hourly rate for the advisers was 318 per hour. All the advisers used were based in London.

Post Offices

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many  (a) urban and  (b) rural post offices (i) opened and (ii) closed in each year since 1990.

Patrick McFadden: This is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd. (POL). I have therefore asked Alan Cook, Managing Director of POL, to reply direct to the hon. Member.

Post Offices: Closures

Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate he has made of the number of the 2,500 post offices proposed for closure which will be closed following the consultation process.

Patrick McFadden: Following the Government's final decisions, it is now for Post Office Ltd. to develop local area plans for proposals for closures and other changes in service provision on a strategic basis within the framework set by Government.

Post Offices: Closures

Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what agreements sub-postmasters whose post offices have been nominated for closure were asked to sign with Post Office Ltd. before the commencement of the consultation process on the proposed closures.

Patrick McFadden: This is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd. (POL). I have therefore asked Alan Cook, Managing Director of POL, to reply direct to the hon. Member.

Post Offices: Closures

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what recent discussions he has had with  (a) the Post Office and  (b) Postwatch on the programme of post office branch closures; and if he will make a statement.

Patrick McFadden: I visited Postwatch on 23 July to discuss the post office closure programme and the council's role. In addition, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and I have met the Managing Director of Post Office Ltd. to discuss a range of matters relating to the post office network including the closure programme.

Post Offices: Closures

John Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform for what reasons no assessment has been made of the likely effect of the proposed post office closures on greenhouse gas emissions.

Patrick McFadden: As stated in the Government's response to the public consultation on the post office network, closures will principally affect a combination of branches in areas of over-provision and those that are least used. Post Office Ltd. will be tasked with taking a strategic overview of service provision to ensure that in areas of over-provision, people should be able to find an alternative branch nearby and the vast majority will still be within walking distance of their nearest office. With the least used, the number of people affected will, by the nature of the offices, be low. The introduction of new access criteria will minimise the impact by ensuring that the network remains readily accessible across the UKwith far greater coverage than any other retailer, financial service provider or public service provider.

Post Offices: Closures

John Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will instruct Post Office Ltd. to make an assessment of the likely effect of proposed post office closures on greenhouse gas emissions.

Patrick McFadden: No. The area plans published by Post Office Ltd. to date indicate that over 95 per cent. of the population in each area will see no change to the post office branch they currently use or will be within one mile of an alternative branch.

Post Offices: Closures

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many staff in his Department are working on post office closures consultations; and whether these staff are based in areas where consultation is taking place.

John Hutton: Department staff are not working on the consultations. Post Office Ltd. is responsible for developing and implementing its network change programme. The company is working to a rolling programme of around 50 area plans drawing on input from Postwatch, local authorities and sub-postmasters. Views on the detailed proposals are then sought during a six-week period of local consultation. The first area plans went out to local consultation on 2 October and will continue to be rolled out at regular intervals until next July.

Post Offices: Finance

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the total turnover of post offices was over the last five years, broken down by region.

Patrick McFadden: This is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd. I have therefore asked Alan Cook, Managing Director of POL, to reply direct to the hon. Member.

Postal Services: Industrial Disputes

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what measures he is taking to help bring about a settlement to the dispute between the Royal Mail and trade unions.

Patrick McFadden: The Government are pleased that issues have now been resolved and agreement has been reached between the CWU and Royal Mail and they urge all postal workers to support their union's recommendation in the forthcoming ballot.

Postal Services: Strikes

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what plans he has for further meetings with representatives of  (a) Royal Mail Ltd. and  (b) the Communications Workers Union to discuss resolution of the postal strike.

Patrick McFadden: The Government are pleased that issues have now been resolved and agreement has been reached between the CWU and Royal Mail and they urge all postal workers to support their union's recommendation in the forthcoming ballot.

Public Houses: Rural Areas

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will seek to hold discussions with brewery companies on support for rural public houses in England and Wales.

Gareth Thomas: holding answer 17 September 2007
	 The Department has no plans to hold discussions with brewery companies on support for rural public houses in England and Wales.

Regional Electricity Companies: Licensing

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the reasons are for licence conditions requiring companies providing new electricity supplies to treat individuals in the same manner as businesses when determining the costs of providing a new supply; and what estimate he has made of the cost of this to individuals in rural communities.

Malcolm Wicks: Under section 16(1) of the Electricity Act 1989, electricity distributors are required, upon request, to make a connection to supply electricity to a premises and to provide electric lines or electrical plant or both as necessary. Under section 19(1) of the Electricity Act 1989, the distributor may require any expenses reasonably incurred in providing such a connection (including lines and/or plant) to be defrayed by the person requiring the connection to such extent as is reasonable in all the circumstances.
	This legislation is supported by standard distribution licence conditions, including condition 4B (which requires distributors to publish and comply with a methodology for connection charges) and condition 4C (in particular paragraph 1 which requires that
	the licensee shall not discriminate between any persons or class or classes of persons ... in carrying out works for the purpose of connection).
	We have made no estimate of the cost of these provisions to individuals in rural Communities.

Renewable Energy

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether he expects the UK to meet the target of 20 per cent. of its energy use being met from renewable sources by 2020; and if he will estimate the proportion of the UK's energy use in that year which will be met by each type of renewable energy technology.

Malcolm Wicks: The EU 2020 20 per cent. renewable energy target is to be shared across all EU member states and the UK's contribution to the target is not yet clear. At this stage, we cannot estimate the proportion of the UK's energy use that will be met by each type of renewable energy technology.

Renewable Energy: Standards

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what modelling his Department has conducted on how the UK can meet its share of the EU target of 20 per cent. of energy from renewables by 2020; and if he will publish the results.

Malcolm Wicks: The UK share of the overall 20 per cent. target will not be clear until draft EU legislation is published, likely to be in January 2008. Modelling work is currently being done under various scenarios and conclusions will be published on completion.

Renewable Energy: Standards

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what work his Department has conducted on the  (a) cost and  (b) policy implications of meeting the likely UK portion of the legally binding EU target of 20 per cent. of energy from renewables by 2020 to which the UK is committed; and if he will publish this work.

Malcolm Wicks: The exact level of the UK share of the overall 20 per cent. target will not be clear until draft EU legislation is published, likely to be in January 2008. We are undertaking work on costs and policy consequences under various scenarios, the conclusions of which will be published on completion.

Renewable Energy: Standards

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether his Department plans to maintain the carbon-price based EU Emissions Trading Scheme alongside the EU target to supply 20 per cent. of energy from renewables by 2020.

Malcolm Wicks: At this year's Spring Energy Council, the EU Heads of Government agreed a package of energy measures including a target to achieve 20 per cent. of the EU's energy from renewable sources by 2020. The conclusions from the Spring Council also highlighted the importance of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. As stated in the UK's Energy White Paper, the Government are committed to both and are keen to ensure that the EU target for renewable energy is implemented in a way that is consistent with an effective EU ETS.

Royal Mail: Fines

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many penalty charges were imposed by Royal Mail in the last year for which figures are available.

Patrick McFadden: I understand from Postcomm that Royal Mail does not record the number of times that underpaid postage surcharge forms are issued to customers. However, the company does record the total value of the forms issued and the total revenue that is received from customers who choose to pay the surcharge.
	In 2006-07 the company issued forms with a total value of 21,897,333.23. In the same period the revenue raised amounted to 7, 335, 544.39.

Solar Power: Finance

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what grants his Department makes available to  (a) public landlords and  (b) owner-occupiers to install solar power in housing; and how many properties in Leeds have received assistance.

Malcolm Wicks: The low carbon buildings programme phase 1 was launched in April 2006 with a budget of 36 million to be used to demonstrate energy efficiency and microgeneration technologies in a range of buildings to include households and small and medium enterprises (SME's).
	SME's could apply for a maximum grant of 1 million or up to 50 per cent. of the total installation cost. However, the final rounds in this category closed to new applicants in September 2007. To date, one public landlord has applied successfully to the programme in the Yorkshire and Humberside region for a solar thermal hot water system project. There have been no applications from public landlords for solar photovoltaic (PV) systems.
	Owner-occupiers can apply for up to 2,500 per property towards the installation of microgeneration technologies including solar photovoltaics (PV) and solar thermal hot water systems. To date, the number of successful grants applications for householders in the Yorkshire and Humberside region is as follows:
	
		
			  Technology  Number. of successful applicants 
			 Solar photovoltaics (PV) 55 
			 Solar thermal hot water 151 
			 Total 206

Trade Unions: Ballots

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Hertfordshire North East of 4 July 2007,  Official Report, column 1112W, on trade unions: ballots, if he will place in the Library copies of scrutineers' reports on union ballots on political fund retention produced between June 2001 and July 2006.

Patrick McFadden: The certification officer asks trade unions to provide him with a copy of the reports produced by the scrutineers of political fund review ballots. He has agreed to make copies of those he has received in the period between June 2001 and July 2006 available to me. I will then place them in the Library.

Trade: Barbados

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what steps he has  (a) taken and  (b) plans to take to increase trade between the United Kingdom and Barbados; how much his Department has spent on trade promotion between the United Kingdom and Barbados; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: UK Trade and Investment, through its teams based in Barbados and in the UK, provides a range of support to help UK companies do business in Barbados. Support is offered on an individual basis under a number of programmes, and country specific statistics are not kept.

UK Trade and Investment: Defence Export Services Organisation

Richard Benyon: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what name will be given to the new organisation within UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) which will have responsibility for defence exports; and how many employees of the Defence Export Services Organisation will be transferred to UKTI.

Gareth Thomas: As my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister announced on 25 July, the Cabinet Office is leading work on the development of an implementation plan to be ready by the end of this year. An update will be provided to the House when this work is completed.

Union Modernisation Fund

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what total funding has been claimed so far in respect of each project awarded funding under Round One of the Union Modernisation Fund.

Patrick McFadden: To 30 September 2007 a total of 1,494,306.14 has been claimed by projects under Round One of the Union Modernisation Fund.

Utilities: Billing

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what information his Department holds on which utility companies  (a) inform customers that they will instruct and  (b) instruct bailiffs in respect of unpaid accounts without a court order; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: The Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem) is responsible for regulating gas and electricity supply, including the operation of debt and disconnection arrangements. The regulator for telecoms is the Office of Communications (Ofcom). The Department does not collect information about the recovery of debt by gas and electricity suppliers or telecoms service providers, or the processes involved in such recovery.

Utilities: Meters

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform pursuant to the answer of 8 October 2007,  Official Report, column 451W, on utilities: meters, how many households pay for electricity and gas by  (a) direct debit,  (b) prepayment meters,  (c) online methods,  (d) quarterly payments,  (e) fuel direct and  (f) any other method, broken down by income decile.

Malcolm Wicks: In the UK, there are around 26frac14; million electricity and 21 million gas domestic customers. The number of customers split by payment method and income decile is estimated as follows:
	
		
			  Electricity in thousand customers 
			Decile group  
			   Lowest 10 per cent.  Second  Third  Fourth  Fifth  Sixth  Seventh  Eighth  Ninth  Highest 10 per cent. 
			 Pre-payment 870 608 481 429 357 341 267 259 123 41 
			 Standard credit 1,149 1,126 1,128 985 1,021 961 989 888 1,009 1,081 
			 Direct debit 606 890 1,015 1,210 1,246 1,322 1,368 1,477 1,493 1,502 
		
	
	
		
			  Gas  in thousand customers 
			Decile group  
			   Lowest 10 per cent.  Second  Third  Fourth  Fifth  Sixth  Seventh  Eighth  Ninth  Highest 10 per cent. 
			 Pre-payment 609 406 289 254 199 220 151 110 33 25 
			 Standard credit 958 928 929 857 880 809 816 811 905 872 
			 Direct debit 537 770 886 994 1,024 1,075 1,137 1,184 1,166 1,208 
		
	
	The aforementioned data have been estimated from the latest BERR Domestic Fuel Inquiry which shows customers numbers by payment type and the 2005-06 Expenditure and Food Survey which supplies information on payment methods and household income.
	Ofgem's domestic retail market report shows that in March 2007 there were 2frac12; million customer accounts signed up to online tariffs (this figure includes both gas and electricity accounts). The majority of consumers paying online for their gas and electricity will use the direct debit payment method and would therefore be included in that category in the aforementioned tables.
	There are around 50,000 gas and electricity fuel direct accounts.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Animal Welfare

Si�n James: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with his European counterparts on improving animal welfare standards for the sale of domestic animals.

Jonathan R Shaw: DEFRA officials hold regular discussions on welfare issues with stakeholders and colleagues in the European Union (EU) but the sale of domestic animals has not been raised specifically.
	Common standards for many areas of animal welfare already exist within the EU. These include standards of welfare on-farm, during transport and at slaughter.
	The Commission's proposals for the next five years are set out in the EU Animal Welfare Action Plan, published on 23 January 2006. We look forward to continued engagement with the Commission and fellow member states on this.

Animal Welfare

Si�n James: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with his European counterparts on improving animal welfare standards in member states of the European Community.

Jonathan R Shaw: DEFRA ministers and officials hold regular discussions, on this and a range of other issues, with stakeholders and colleagues in the European Union (EU).
	Common standards for many areas of animal welfare already exist within the EU. These include standards of welfare on-farm, during transport and at slaughter.
	The Commission's proposals for the next five years are set out in the EU Animal Welfare Action Plan, published on 23 January 2006. We look forward to continued engagement with the Commission and fellow member states on this.

Biofuels: Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the impact on greenhouse gas emissions of the growing of biofuels.

Phil Woolas: Lifecycle analysis carried out on the greenhouse gas emissions for a wide range of biofuels show that sustainably produced biofuels can result in an overall net reduction in carbon emissions. Full details of their evaluations are available on the European Union website.
	The actual carbon savings can vary widely, depending on how much fossil energy is used in cultivation, harvesting, processing and transportation. For example, the Government-sponsored Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership has calculated that the carbon savings for UK wheat-based ethanol compared to petrol can vary from 7 per cent. to 77 per cent.
	For this reason, the forthcoming renewable transport fuel obligation (RTFO) will require companies to measure and report on how much carbon their fuel has saved over the entire lifecycle from grain to tank. From 2010, when experience with carbon measurement and reporting has been established, the Government have announced their intention that the RTFO will reward fuels according to their carbon savings.

British Waterways Board: Finance

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what discussions he has had with his counterpart in the Welsh Assembly Government on the funding of British Waterways; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what discussions he has had with his counterpart in the Scottish Executive on the funding of British Waterways; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on  (a) the funding of British Waterways and  (b) the use of British Waterways for leisure and tourism purposes; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on  (a) the funding of British Waterways and  (b) the role of British Waterways in regeneration; and if he will make a statement;
	(5)  what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Transport on  (a) the funding of British Waterways and  (b) the use of British Waterways to transport freight; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: Responsibility for inland waterways has not been devolved to Wales and DEFRA remains the single government sponsor of British Waterways in England and Wales. However officials do discuss British Waterways matters with their Welsh counterparts from time to time.
	The Scottish Executive is responsible for the funding of British Waterways' canals in Scotland and I am in contact with my counterpart in the Scottish Executive as required by the governing legislation. My officials also hold regular liaison meetings with the Executive to discuss financial and operational matters affecting British Waterways.
	DEFRA holds regular meetings with ministerial colleagues and officials on a wide range of issues, including the funding of British Waterways and its operational activities. I have recently written to the Secretaries of State for Communities and Local Government, for Health, for Transport and for Culture, Media and Sport, with the aim of setting up an inter-departmental working group to formalise and strengthen DEFRA's contact with other Government Departments. This group will work to ensure that the potential benefits of waterways are understood.

Commons Councils

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he plans to publish his proposals for the formation of commons councils under the Commons Act 2006.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Government will issue a public consultation document on proposals for commons councils later this year, with a view to bringing the relevant provisions of the Commons Act 2006 in to force in the first half of 2008. DEFRA has already begun informal discussions with stakeholders to help inform this process.

Conservation: Devolved Matters

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many meetings have taken place with the Scottish Executive since May on the further devolution of nature conservation duties beyond 12 nautical miles.

Jonathan R Shaw: Since May, the Government and the Scottish Executive have met four times to discuss the devolution of nature conservation responsibilities, among other issues. This includes my visit to Scotland in early October.

Contamination: Grants

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the Government's policy is on making contaminated land grants; and what assistance is available for householders who do not receive grants to remove radon gas from their property.

Jonathan R Shaw: DEFRA provides discretionary funding support to individual local authorities (LAs) in connection with their responsibilities for dealing with contaminated land under the Environmental Protection Act 1990.
	Support is also provided by central Government through the environmental, protective and cultural services (EPCS) component of revenue support grant. This funding is not ring-fenced, which enables individual LAs to determine their own expenditure.
	Responsibility for radon gas no longer rests with DEFRA but with the Health Protection Agency and the Department of Health.

Domestic Wastes: Waste Disposal

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what records the Waste Resources Action Programme holds of the local authorities in  (a) Wales,  (b) Scotland and  (c) Northern Ireland which have moved to alternate weekly collections of household rubbish.

Joan Ruddock: WRAP does not advise local authorities in Wales or Scotland, and therefore does not hold any records on those local authorities that have moved to alternate weekly collection of household waste.
	WRAP does provide advice to local authorities in Northern Ireland through its Recycling and Organics Technical Advisory Team. The team's understanding is that 24 out of 26 local councils operate an alternate weekly collection system.
	Advice on recycling collections in Scotland and Wales is a matter for the devolved Governments.

Energy: Conservation

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if the Government will take steps to support local campaigns to save electricity as part of its strategy on tackling climate change; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 25 October 2007
	The Government are working at a regional and community level through the Climate Change Communications Initiative which has provided 8.5 million to 83 local projects to help raise awareness of climate change, encourage positive attitudes and provide advice on action to help tackle it.
	My department also funds the Energy Saving Trust (EST).The ESTs Community Partnerships programme works with and provides advice and support to local bodies, to help them deliver energy efficiency to their communities.
	The Community Energy Efficiency Fund (CEEF), which is funded by my department, aims to ensure 300,000 of the most vulnerable pensioner and other vulnerable households are assisted using an area based approach. In September 2007, 50 projects totalling 6.3 million were offered funding by CEEF, including a range of new and established projects, each bringing together key players at the local level to improve the effectiveness of Warm Front and Energy Efficiency Commitment.

Environment Protection: Territorial Waters

Anne Moffat: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the Government's policy is on the environmental protection of UK territorial waters.

Jonathan R Shaw: Under the EC habitats and birds directives, the UK has established a network of sites to protect habitats and species. There are currently 182 marine protected areas in UK inshore waters (up to 12 nautical miles), which include 81 Special Protections Areas with marine habitats for birds, 98 Special Areas of Conservation with marine habitats or species, and three statutory marine nature reserves. We are carrying out surveys of marine areas to identify further sites that will meet the obligations under the directives.
	In addition, we have an international commitment under OSPAR to establish an ecologically coherent network of well managed Marine Protected Areas by 2010. By then, we will have largely completed our network of European sites.
	We will further add to this network by including Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs) which were proposed in the Marine Bill White Paper, published in March 2007. Through the Marine Bill, the Government will deliver a new framework for the sustainable development of the UK marine area. The MCZ mechanism will provide a flexible tool which allows for the designation of a full range of sites, from areas of limited protection to areas of very high protection. It will be possible to designate MCZs anywhere within marine waters over which the UK Government exercises jurisdiction, namely UK offshore waters and the territorial sea adjacent to England.
	It is the Government's intention to publish a draft Marine Bill in the next session, probably in early 2008.

Export Credit Guarantees

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what advice his Department has provided to the Export Credits Guarantee Department (ECGD) concerning the impact of the businesses supported by ECGD on  (a) biodiversity and  (b) climate change.

Phil Woolas: My Department examines the environmental impacts, including both biodiversity and climate change impacts of potential projects on a case-by-case basis, and provides advice to ECGD as appropriate.

Fisheries

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what information on fish stocks his Department provided to the Food Standards Agency to enable the Agency to carry out the sustainability assessment of its two a week advice on fish consumption; and if he will place this information in the Library;
	(2)  if he will make a statement on the 2004 findings of the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution that implementation of the Food Standards Agency two a week fish consumption advice would result in a 40 per cent. overall increase in fish consumption and a 200 per cent. increase in oily fish consumption;
	(3)  when his Department was approached by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) for advice on the sustainability of fish stocks with regard to the FSA's two a week fish consumption advice;
	(4)  what assessment his Department has made of the impact on fish stocks of the Food Standards Agency's two a week fish consumption guidance;
	(5)  what his Department's policy is on the implementation of the Food Standards Agency's two a week fish consumption advice.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Department is in regular contact with the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and has provided, when required, the latest scientific information on the state of the key EU fish stocks, based on advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES). The FSA is currently gathering a range of material to support a sustainability assessment on its advice that consumers should eat more fish, and will seek further input from DEFRA as necessary. In the meantime, the FSA advice, which I support, remains that consumers should be encouraged to eat two portions of fish per week (including one of oily fish).
	The UK household consumption of fish has increased by some 13 per cent. per head in the last 10 years, and by 17 per cent. in absolute terms over the same period. It is not however possible to assess what proportion of these increases has been as a direct consequence of the FSA advice.

Fisheries: Subsidies

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  which EU countries have submitted their European Fisheries Fund  (a) operational programme and  (b) strategic plan to the European Commission; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  which EU countries have had their European Fisheries Fund operational programme approved by the European Commission; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  which EU countries are receiving European Fisheries Fund moneys; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  on which dates each EU country with an operational programme approved by the European Commission will begin receiving European Fisheries Fund moneys; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: Information regarding which European Union (EU) member states have submitted European Fisheries Fund (EFF) Operational Programmes and Strategic Plans is not available. However, I understand that 19 out of 26 Operational Programmes and 21 out of 26 Strategic Plans have been submitted to the Commission for approval to date.
	No EU countries have yet had their EFF Operational Programmes approved by the European Commission. Of those Programmes already submitted to the Commission, I understand that the Commission is aiming to have the majority approved by the end of the year.
	EU countries will only begin receiving EFF moneys, following approval of their Operational Programmes. As a result, no EU countries are currently receiving EFF moneys.
	It is not yet possible to determine when payments of EFF moneys will begin. Payments by the Commission of the contribution from the EFF, to EU countries, take the form of pre-financing, interim payments and payment of the balance. Following the Commission decision to approve an Operational Programme, a single pre-financing amount, representing 7 per cent. of the contribution from the EFF to that Operational Programme, will be made by the Commission. Following agreement of the EU countries management and control systems, interim payments will commence.

Fisheries: Subsidies

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  pursuant to the answer of 15 October 2007,  Official Report, column 777W, on fisheries: subsidies, when he expects the UK operational programme to be ready for submission to the European Commission; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  when he expects UK fishermen to begin receiving European Fisheries Fund monies; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: We aim to consult with fishermen and other stakeholders on the Operational Programme in early 2008. Following this, we will be working to submit the UK Operational Programme to the European Commission at the earliest opportunity, which should be in any case not later than June 2008.
	We cannot finalise the draft programme until agreement is reached on the split of the European Fisheries Fund (EFF) budget between the devolved Administrations. I am continuing to seek a resolution and, if necessary, will do so through the dispute resolution procedures set out in the devolution agreements.
	Payments of EFF monies to European Union countries can only commence after the Commission approves the Operational Programme. Officials are working closely with the Commission during the development of the Operational Programme to ensure that the approval process can be completed as quickly as possible. We anticipate that payments to UK fishermen will commence in late 2008.

Fisheries: Subsidies

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 15 October 2007,  Official Report, column 777W, on fisheries: subsidies, for what reasons the Government has not yet submitted the operational programme to the European Commission.

Jonathan R Shaw: Under the terms of the relevant European Union regulation, the draft Operational Programme must exemplify budget figures for each funding axis. Until the UK Administrations agree a budget split, we cannot meet this requirement and, hence, cannot submit a draft Operational Programme to the European Commission.

Fisheries: Subsidies

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 15 October 2007,  Official Report, column 777W, on fisheries: subsidies, what proposals have been put forward for the division of the European Fisheries Fund monies between the devolved administrations.

Jonathan R Shaw: Officials from the four UK Administrations have explored a number of methods for dividing the UK European Fisheries Fund (EFF) budget. These include the use of metrics (such as value of fishing industry output), numbers employed in the fisheries sector, number of fishing businesses and dependence on fisheries. It was concluded that none of these offered an allocation that was considered reasonable by all four Administrations.
	For this reason, the Administrations agreed that a budget-split based on the split for the previous grant scheme, Financial Instrument for Fisheries Guidance (FIFG), offered the most reasonable compromise.
	While provisional agreement has been reached for use of the FIFG split for the non-convergence budget, Administrations have failed to reach final agreement on the use of this method for the convergence budget. I am continuing to seek a resolution and, if necessary, will do so through the dispute resolution procedures set out in the devolution agreements.

Floods: Boscastle

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what financial assistance his Department made available to the town of Boscastle after the floods there.

Phil Woolas: DEFRA has overall policy and funding responsibility for flood risk management but not in general for providing financial assistance post-flooding.
	I understand that the Department for Communities and Local Government provided 447,565 in respect of Boscastle through the Bellwin scheme. This reimbursed North Cornwall district council for immediate costs relating to safeguarding life and property, and clear up.
	I understand some assistance was also provided to businesses by Business Link, which is operated by the Small Business Service (now the Enterprise Directorate), part of the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform.
	The Government Office for the South West, South West Regional Development Agency, Business Link and other local agencies set up the Boscastle Regeneration Steering Group to consider and address regeneration needs. Funding was secured via the Objective One European Regional Development Fund to help with post flooding regeneration and tourism marketing efforts.
	Since the flooding, works to reduce flood risk have been completed on the Lower Jordan river at a cost of approximately 1.5 million. The works are under way on the River Valency at a current cost prediction of 5.6 million, and scheduled for completion in 2008.

Floods: EC Grants and Loans

Denis MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will make a statement on progress of the UK's application to the European Union for financial assistance following the summer floods.

John Healey: I have been asked to reply.
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Eddisbury (Mr. O'Brien) on 23 October 2007,  Official Report, column 180-1W.

Fly Tipping

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many fly-tipping incidents were reported through the Flycapture database in each local authority in each year since the database was established.

Joan Ruddock: I have arranged for a table to be placed in the Library of the House showing the number of fly-tipping incidents and prosecutions recorded in each local authority by local authorities on Flycapture for 2004-05, 2005-06 and 2006-07.
	Following the release of the 2006-07 Flycapture statistics on 9 October 2007, this information has been sent to all MPs and has been placed in the Printed Paper Office.
	It is also available to download electronically on DEFRA's Flycapture website:
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/localenv/flytipping/flycapture-data.htm

Fly Tipping

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent estimate his Department has made of the tonnage of fly-tipping in England in each year.

Joan Ruddock: Flycapture, the national database of fly-tipping incidents, was set up in 2004 by DEFRA, the Environment Agency and the Local Government Association, to record the number of fly-tipping incidents dealt with by the Environment Agency and local authorities. Flycapture does not record fly-tipping tonnages.
	However, WasteDataFlow, the online system for local authorities to report on their municipal waste, does include a category for fly-tipping tonnages. In 2005-06 (the only year for which complete data are available), authorities reported around 140,000 tonnes of residual waste arising from the clearance of fly-tipped materials. However, this figure is likely to be an underestimate where authorities collect fly-tipped tonnages as part of their street cleaning or other regular waste collection rounds, or are able to send this waste for recycling.

Fly Tipping

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 25 June 2007,  Official Report, column 83W to the hon. Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove), on fly-tipping, for what reason the estimated number of fly-tipping incidents between April 2005 and March 2006 in England differs from the figure given in the answer of 1 November 2006,  Official Report, column 458W to the hon. Member for Meriden (Mrs. Spelman), on fly-tipping.

Joan Ruddock: The difference between the data reported in the answer to the hon. Member for Meriden (Mrs. Spelman) of 1 November 2006 and the answer to the hon. Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove) of 25 June 2007 is due to the fact that the earlier answer did not include figures for Liverpool city council and Sheffield city council.
	When my Department originally published the fly-tipping data for 2005-06, a decision was taken to exclude the figures reported by Liverpool city council and Sheffield city council so that we could first ascertain that figures provided by the councils (which accounted for half of all fly-tips in England) had been correctly recorded. The figures were included as a footnote to the statistical release and were available on request.
	However, following discussions with the councils concerned, it was apparent that these high incident numbers were being recorded correctly and that similar numbers would continue to be recorded. The data for Liverpool city council and Sheffield city council are now included in all Flycapture statistics and were included in the answer to the hon. Member for Surrey Heath of 25 June 2007.
	Following the release of Flycapture data for 2006-07 on 9 October 2007, I wrote to all Members on 15 October that have tabled parliamentary questions on fly-tipping statistics in the last 12 months, to inform them that the statistics in the answer they were originally given in respect of previous years may have changed.

Foot and Mouth Disease

Philip Dunne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what access  (a) visitors,  (b) students and  (c) temporary or part-time students had to foot and mouth virus strains at the Institute of Animal Health at Pirbright in the last 12 months; what the application procedures were for activities involving such access; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: I have been asked to reply.
	These are matters for the Institute for Animal Health. Institute of Animal Health at Pirbright is part of the independent Institute for Animal Health (IAH), a company limited by guarantee with charitable status. By convention its operations therefore fall outside the scope of parliamentary questions, however I have drawn the attention of the Director to the hon. Member's questions.

Genetically Modified Organisms

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  whether the summary of responses to his Department's consultation on the coexistence of GM, conventional and organic crops is awaiting ministerial approval before publication; and when he expects it to be published;
	(2)  what plans there are for consideration at EU level of policies on the coexistence of GM, conventional and organic crops in 2008; and what his Department's policy objectives for that consideration are;
	(3)  how his Department intends to proceed with bringing forward legislation on coexistence of GM, conventional and organic crops in England and liability issues arising.

Phil Woolas: Defra will publish the summary of responses to the public consultation on the coexistence of GM, conventional and organic crops when we set out the Government's plans on the next steps towards legislation in this area. This is expected shortly.
	At EU level, the Council has mandated the Commission to develop crop specific guidance documents for coexistence measures. To this end the Commission is establishing a European Coexistence Bureau (ECoB). This is a move Her Majesty's Government supports.

Genetically Modified Organisms: Crops

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research his Department has assessed on separation distances between GM and conventional crops for  (a) maize,  (b) beet and  (c) oilseed rape; and whether he plans to review existing separation distances in each case.

Phil Woolas: In July 2006, the Government set out their proposals on managing the coexistence of Genetically Modified (GM), conventional and organic crops in a consultation document, which is available on the DEFRA website.
	This explains the research used to assess the separation distances for maize and oilseed rape. It also explains that separation distance for beet is not an issue as cross-pollination does not affect harvested beet.
	The Government are currently considering the results of the public consultation and will make a statement on future plans.

Gyrodactylus Salaris

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  if he will provide publicity at English ports and on ferries on the dangers of Gyrodactylus salaris before summer 2008;
	(2)  if he will enhance his Department's work on raising awareness of the dangers to fisheries posed by Gyrodactylus salaris;
	(3)  if he will take steps to ensure that his Department works more effectively with the Scottish Executive and sectoral canoeing and angling-based organisations to help counteract the potential threats of Gyrodactylus salaris.

Jonathan R Shaw: Gyrodactylus salaris (Gs) is a parasite that has the potential to cause widespread losses in both wild and farmed Atlantic salmon. The UK is free of Gs and we have robust legislative safeguards on trade in live fish to help ensure this remains the case.
	DEFRA has carried out publicity campaigns in recent years to raise awareness among the public and advice on how to keep Gs out of the country is contained in our Keep Fish Diseases Out series of guidance leaflets. We are planning a further campaign before the summer of 2008 and although details have yet to be finalised, a key theme will be the danger of introducing Gs through travel to and from high-risk areas.
	DEFRA also has comprehensive contingency plans for combating Gs and officials are in regular contact with their counterparts in other Departments and the devolved administrations on measures to update these plans and awareness campaigns.

Home Energy Efficiency Scheme

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many combination boilers have been installed by the Warm Front programme in the last three years.

Phil Woolas: The following table shows the number of combination boilers installed by Warm Front since the introduction of 'heating for all Warm Front eligible clients' in 2005.
	
		
			  Period  Number of combination boilers 
			 1 June 2005 to 31 March 2006 16,984 
			 1 April 2006 to 31 March 2007 61,208 
			 1 April 2007 to 30 September 2007 39,835

Home Energy Efficiency Scheme

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the cost to his Department of Warm Front was in each of the last three years.

Phil Woolas: My Department's expenditure on the Warm Front Scheme in the last three years is set out in the table as follows:
	
		
			million 
			 2004-05 166 
			 2005-06 192 
			 2006-07 320

Home Energy Efficiency Scheme: Standards

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs who the independent quality assessors appointed by his Department are; who are responsible for ensuring that Warm Front's pricing system is fair and reflects the market rate.

Phil Woolas: Defra, as the Department responsible for the Warm Front Scheme, has responsibility for ensuring the value for money of the scheme.
	White Young Green are the independent auditors, appointed by my Department to assess the delivery of the scheme.

Institute of Animal Health: Manpower

Philip Dunne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  when the post of Deputy Director of Science, Institute of Animal Health at Pirbright was  (a) created and  (b) filled;
	(2)  who was responsible for  (a) biosecurity and  (b) health and safety at the Institute of Animal Health at Pirbright prior to 1 September 2007; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: I have been asked to reply.
	These are matters for the Institute for Animal Health. I have drawn the attention of the director to the hon. Member's questions.

Interdepartmental Working Group on British Waterways

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs who will be represented on the Interdepartmental Working Group on British Waterways which was referred to in the Government's response to the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee's Seventh Report of Session 2006-07, page 5; when the Group is expected to hold its first meeting; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: I have recently written to the Secretaries of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Transport, Health and Communities and Local Government seeking their support for a cross-Government group on inland waterways. I envisage this group working together to strengthen contact between departments and to help with better recognition of what inland waterways can achieve in delivering a wide range of Government objectives.
	DEFRA officials are in the process of agreeing the membership and setting up the inaugural meeting of the group, which I envisage taking place before the end of the year.

Land Drainage: Crops

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the role of land drainage in crop production.

Phil Woolas: I am not aware of any recent work to assess the role of land drainage in crop production.
	The impact of land drainage on crops will vary depending on the soil type and crop type, and we would expect this to be for the individual landowner to assess.

Pesticides

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations he has received from the Amenity Forum on the use of pesticides; and if he will meet representatives of the Forum to discuss the matter.

Phil Woolas: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has received various representations from the Amenity Forum on the use of pesticides. He currently has no plans to meet with representatives of the forum but will be happy to do so, diary permitting.

Radioactive Wastes: Waste Management

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management recommendation that any consideration of new nuclear waste arising from new nuclear build would raise practical issues which would need to be subject to a separate assessment and consultation process.

Phil Woolas: The way in which the Government views the issue of new build wastes in light of the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management's recommendations is set out in the consultation document The Future of Nuclear Power: the Role of Nuclear Power in a Low Carbon UK Economy. The consultation document Managing Radioactive Waste Safely: a Framework for Implementing Geological Disposal gives further details of the Government's proposals for managing any future new build nuclear waste. The management arrangements for any future new nuclear build waste will be decided in light of the outcome to these two consultations.

Radioactive Wastes: Waste Management

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which parts of the Managing Radioactive Waste Safely: A framework for implementing geological disposal consultation specifically address the issue of new build nuclear waste.

Phil Woolas: It is not the purpose of the Managing Radioactive Waste Safely consultation to address the issue of whether or not it is in the public interest to allow energy companies to invest in new nuclear power stations. This is being considered by the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform in a separate consultation The Future of Nuclear Power: the Role of Nuclear Power in a Low Carbon UK Economy. This consultation closed on 10 October 2007 and responses are now being analysed.
	The Managing Radioactive Waste Safely consultation anticipates that, in the event that there were new nuclear power stations, waste and spent fuel from those stations could be accommodated in the same geological disposal facility.

Radioactive Wastes: Waste Management

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  if he will publish the results of the Managing Radioactive Waste Safely: A framework for implementing geological disposal consultation at the same time as those of the Future of Nuclear Power consultation; and what steps he plans to take to ensure that the two exercises are integrated;
	(2)  how the timing of any decision arising from the Future of Nuclear Power consultation will take account of the High Court's findings that waste issues from any future nuclear new build must be explained in full.

Phil Woolas: We will publish the results of the Future of Nuclear Power: the Role of Nuclear Power in a Low Carbon Economy and the Managing Radioactive Waste Safely: a Framework for Implementing Geological Disposal consultations once the respective response analyses are complete. Any decision to allow new nuclear build would include guidance on how resulting radioactive waste could be safely managed.

Radioactive Wastes: Waste Management

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether community benefit packages will be extended to those communities which host interim stores of nuclear waste pending permanent waste disposal; and whether those packages will be extendable permanently if disposal does not occur within a set time period.

Phil Woolas: The statement made by the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to Parliament on 25 October 2006 stated that circumstances surrounding the long-term disposal of higher activity radioactive waste are unique. The proposals set out in the consultation document Managing Radioactive Waste Safely: a Framework for Implementing Geological Disposal only apply to the disposal of such waste.

Waste Disposal

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what specific actions the Waste Strategy Board is undertaking to ensure the adequacy of biological treatment infrastructure in order to meet targets in waste strategy 2007;
	(2)  what proposals the Waste Strategy Board has to inform local communities about the merits of new biological treatment infrastructure;

Joan Ruddock: The Waste Strategy Board has been established to drive forward and monitor delivery of Waste Strategy 2007 targets across Government. The board will develop new policy actions to achieve Waste Strategy objectives as necessary and in light of progress made in specific areas.
	The Waste Strategy sets out measures that the Government have put in place to secure the investment in infrastructure needed to divert waste from landfill. This includes working with Communities and Local Government to take forward specific aspects of the strategy, including planning.
	It remains vital that regional spatial strategies and local development documents look forward and make adequate provision for the appropriate types and scales of infrastructure and waste treatment facilities needed, including biological treatment plants. It is also important for specific, suitable sites to be identified in plans.
	DEFRA's Waste Implementation Delivery Programme (WIDP) is maintaining a national overview of existing and planned residual treatment capacity to ensure that resources are applied in the most effective manner.
	DEFRA's New Technologies Demonstrator Programme aims to demonstrate innovative waste treatment technologies as possible alternatives to landfill. The programme aims to prove the economic, social and environmental viability of each selected technology, half of which are biological treatment technologies. Each site will have a visitor centre, which will be open throughout the plant's participation in the programme. These will enable representatives from local authorities and the waste sector to learn more about the particular strengths and weaknesses of each technology.
	As mentioned in the Waste Strategy 2007, DEFRA is also considering ways to raise public awareness of the options and issues relating to waste management infrastructure, including biological treatment plants. The aim is to provide evidence-based information which will aid public comprehension of the options. Communications activity is tentatively planned for early 2008.

Waste Management: Surveillance

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what advice  (a) his Department and  (b) the Waste and Resources Action Programme has given to local authorities on the use of surveillance in relation to (i) fly-tipping and (ii) waste collection.

Joan Ruddock: My Department has not issued specific guidance on surveillance to local authorities in relation to fly-tipping or waste collection.
	The Regulation and Investigatory Power Act 2000 legislates for using methods of surveillance and information gathering to help the prevention of crime. Information and guidance, including a code of practice is available on the Home Office website.
	DEFRA has, along with the Welsh Assembly Government, funded the development of Flycapture Enforcement, a training package specifically designed for local authority enforcement officers, lawyers and managers to increase their knowledge of the relevant fly-tipping legislation and to develop skills in effective fly-tipping enforcement and prosecution. This training package contains a module on the Regulation and Investigatory Power Act 2000.
	DEFRA has also provided funding to the Jill Dando Institute of Crime Science to produce research on fly-tipping (Fly-tipping: Causes, Incentives and Solutions). This included a Good Practice Guide for Local Authorities which contains material on a variety of crime prevention techniques, including surveillance. Both documents have been distributed to all local authorities in England.

Yorkshire Derwent Catchment Flood Management Plan

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much it cost the Environment Agency to  (a) write and assemble,  (b) print and  (c) distribute the Yorkshire Derwent Catchment Flood Management Plan.

Phil Woolas: The Catchment Flood Management Plan for the river Derwent was one of the national pilot plans, and as such much 'shaping' work was done in this plan, which cost 250,000 to write and assemble.
	This includes all work to produce the various stages of draft and final plan. Print and distribution costs will amount to an estimated 1,000.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Afghanistan: Politics and Government

John MacDougall: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment he has made of the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan; and if he will make a statement.

Shahid Malik: DFID monitors the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan very closely. We receive regular updates from The United Nations Assistance Mission to Afghanistan and other UN agencies such as the High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Office for Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA).
	Since 2001 over 4.8 million refugees have returned to Afghanistan, but it still has the largest number of refugees in the world. Over one-quarter of the country's population is reported to have sought refuge outside the country. As of August 2007, more than 120,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) were spread across the country but mainly in the south. More long term IDPs are occurring in the south, caused mainly by drought and insecurity. Recent displacement is caused by human rights violations, inter-communal tensions, floods or drought. According to government figures, conflict in the south this year has displaced 15,000-20,000 families. Afghanistan remains one of the most heavily mined countries in the world and estimates suggest that mines and unexploded ordinance kill or injure an average of two Afghans every day; 50 per cent. of these victims are children.
	According to recent reports from the United Nations, humanitarian access has become a growing challenge, with at least 78 districts rated as extremely risky and inaccessible to UN agencies. At the end of August this year, the total number of reported incidents show that 41 humanitarian workers had been killed, and 70 had been abducted, with one tenth of those abducted killed by their captors.
	In 2006-07 DFID provided 1.6 million in bilateral humanitarian aid to Afghanistan. Afghanistan is also one of the largest recipients of UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) support, to which the UK is the largest contributor (23 per cent. of total CERF value in 2006). Afghanistan received $32.3 million from CERF in 2006. We also provide core funding to UNICEF, the World Food Programme, and UNHCR, all of whom have operations in Afghanistan.

Afghanistan: Reconstruction

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps are being taken to introduce a UN approved co-ordinator to head international reconstruction and development work in Afghanistan.

Shahid Malik: The introduction of a UN approved co-ordinator to head international reconstruction and development work in Afghanistan would be a decision for the UN Security Council, and would require a vote on and creation of a new UN mandate by member states.
	Tom Koenigs is the current special representative to the Secretary-General in Afghanistan. He has responsibility for co-ordinating the activities of UN agencies in Afghanistan, including their reconstruction and development work. Broader co-ordination of international reconstruction and development work is carried out through donor conferences (for example; the London Conference on Afghanistan in 2006) and their follow up mechanisms such as the Joint Co-ordination and Monitoring Board.

Africa: Floods

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions he has had with the World Food Programme on the recent flooding in Africa.

Gareth Thomas: The Secretary of State has had no discussions with the World Food Programme (WFP) on the recent flooding in Africa. However, DFID officials are in regular contact with WFP staff at headquarters and country level. In Uganda and Ghana, several discussions have taken place around the need for detailed assessments to determine the level and nature of impact on the flood-affected population.
	DFID has provided 8.3 million in response to the flooding, including 750,000 through the WFP for food aid and logistics in Uganda.

Africa: Skilled Workers

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the likely effect of the European Blue Card Scheme on the technical and engineering capacity of developing African countries  (a) in conflict and  (b) post conflict; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: Detail from the European Commission on how the blue card scheme would work is not yet available. This makes it difficult to assess the potential impact of the scheme on technical and engineering capacity of developing African countries both in conflict and post-conflict.
	However, DFID is very conscious of the consequences for developing countries of 'brain drain' and is taking measures to address skills shortages in key sectors in Africa. For example, DFID is working to strengthen the capacity of health systems in countries such as Malawi to retain health workers, and in some countries we are supporting efforts to attract skilled professionals back to key sectors. Countries in conflict are prone to losing skilled staff through out-migration. Post-conflict reconstruction and development programmes can create new job opportunities for engineers and some technical specialists, although it takes time to rebuild an adequate pool of skilled people.

Baroness Vadera

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  whether Baroness Vadera has attended meetings at HM Treasury on the international economic system.
	(2)  whether Baroness Vadera has attended meetings at HM Treasury on Northern Rock;
	(3)  what meetings Baroness Vadera has had with representatives of UBS on the sale of Northern Rock to Lloyds TSB.

Shahid Malik: Ministers and senior officials meet a range of individuals and organisations to discuss policy and delivery issues. As was the case with the previous Administration, the Government does not provide details of all such meetings.

Burma: Human Rights

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to improve  (a) access to primary education,  (b) access to electricity, food and other necessities of life and  (c) employment opportunities for people in Burma in the long-term; and if he will make a statement.

Shahid Malik: DFID's aid to Burma increased from 2 million in 2002 to 8 million this year. A further 1 million was agreed this month in order to meet urgent humanitarian needs following the violent crack-down of recent protests. Earlier today my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Development, announced that DFID's aid to Burma would double to 18 million by 2010-11.
	DFID's programme in Burma is focused on health, education, rural livelihoods and support for transition towards democratic change. To improve access to basic education we are currently providing 3.3 million through UNICEF and 2.7 million through Save the Children, each over three years. We are providing 4 million over four years through the United Nations Development Programme to improve food security and enable people in rural areas to increase their family incomes, and we are funding community development programmes through non-governmental organisations. We are also providing 1.8 million over three years to help meet the needs of Burmese refugees on the Thai border. Part of the additional 1 million agreed for urgent humanitarian needs in October will be used to improve access to food by poor and vulnerable people in Burma.

Burma: Politics and Government

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will take steps to increase aid for non-governmental organisations working to promote change in Burma.

Shahid Malik: DFID is providing financial support to a number of Burmese community-based organisations which are working to build the foundations for a more democratic and accountable society in Burma. We are now setting up a new fund of 3 million to help Burmese organisations to promote people's participation in local level decision making, for example in forest management, agriculture, education and health services.
	In addition, DFID is prepared to consider applications for funding by groups inside and outside Burma which are working on sustainable development and democratisation in Burma. Funding decisions would be based on the availability of resources, the likely impact of proposed projects, their having a clear purpose of poverty reduction, and normal criteria regarding transparency and accountability.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Overseas Aid

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what humanitarian assistance his Department is providing to civilians affected by renewed conflict in the eastern provinces of Democratic Republic of Congo.

Gareth Thomas: DFID is providing 35 million in humanitarian aid for DRC in total for 2007. Most of this money (30 million) is provided to the DRC Humanitarian Pooled Fund which brings together several major donors and allows the Humanitarian Co-ordinator to allocate funds to UN agencies and NGOs. The Pooled Fundnow totalling some $100 millionallocates resources for priority humanitarian food, health, water and sanitation and protection activities. A recent emergency allocation of $5 million from the Pooled Fund was provided to UNICEF, WFP and others for additional food, health and shelter items for the displaced population. The UK is the largest humanitarian donor in DRC and the largest contributor to the Pooled Fund. The Humanitarian Co-ordinator has also called upon the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to provide an additional emergency allocation of $5 million for the current crisis in the east. DFID is one of the main contributors to the CERF.
	DFID also provides direct support (5 million in 2007) to other humanitarian organisations such as the International Committee of the Red Cross, Merlin, the International Rescue Committee, the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development and Medicins Sans Frontieres, all of whom are currently working in North Kivu. In addition, we have lobbied for all agencies to focus all available resources on those areas most in need in DRC at this time.

Departments: Assets

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what departmental assets are planned to be sold in each financial year from 2007-08 to 2010-11; what the  (a) description and  (b) book value of each such asset is; and what the expected revenue from each such sale is.

Gareth Thomas: DFID's fixed assets (88 million at 31 March 2007) are mainly its offices and information systems. The need to retain particular assets is kept under review, and there is a regular and routine process of disposing of assets such as vehicles and IT equipment at the end of their useful lives. Estimates provision for 2007-08 and budgets set out in the Comprehensive Spending Review plans do not include any non-routine receipts from fixed asset disposals. Fuller details of asset management practices will be set out in an Asset Management Strategy to be published later this year.

Departments: Disabled People

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which buildings occupied by his Department  (a) are and  (b) are not fully accessible to disabled people; and if he will make a statement.

Shahid Malik: DFID has two UK buildings and both are accessible to disabled people. Audits have been carried out in accordance with the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, and all reasonable adjustments made.

Departments: Seafood Procurement

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which companies have contracts to supply his Department with fish; and when those contracts will end.

Shahid Malik: All UK food procurement is carried out through our contracted catering company. Fish is sourced through M+J Seafood. This contract is due to end on 30 November 2007.

Departments: Seafood Procurement

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what consideration his Department has given to introducing a sustainable seafood procurement policy.

Shahid Malik: My Department is currently in the process of re-tendering our catering contract, and emphasis has been put on prospective caterers ensuring that they provide only foodstuffs which are from sustainable sources.

Departments: Seafood Procurement

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what quantity of cod from the North Sea or Eastern Baltic was procured by his Department in 2006.

Shahid Malik: In 2006, my Department procured approx 5 kg of cod from North Sea or Eastern Baltic origins.

Departments: Fixed Penalties

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many fixed penalty tickets were incurred by vehicles within the purview of his Department in the last year for which figures are available; and what the total cost was.

Douglas Alexander: The Department for International Development (DFID) uses four vehicles provided by GCDA. I refer the hon. Member to the answer provided by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Jim Fitzpatrick) on 18 October 2007,  Official Report, columns 1185-86W, in respect of these vehicles.
	DFID has one other vehicle used for official purposes. This vehicle has not incurred any fixed penalty tickets in the last year.

Departments: Ministerial Policy Advisers

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the name is of each special adviser in his Department.

Douglas Alexander: The annual list of special adviser names will be published shortly.

Departments: Public Expenditure

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development on what dates his Department breached its  (a) resource,  (b) near-cash,  (c) administration and  (d) capital budgets since 2001; what the total value of each breach was; and what the reason was for each breach.

Gareth Thomas: There were no budget breaches by the Department for International Development during the period 2001-02 to 2006-07.
	Please refer to the information contained in Public Expenditure Outturn White Papers (PEOWP) 2001-02 to 2006-07. References for these documents are:
	PEOWP 2001-02 (Cm 5574)
	PEOWP 2002-03 (Cm 5884)
	PEOWP 2003-04 (Cm 6293)
	PEOWP 2004-05 (Cm 6639)
	PEOWP 2005-06 (Cm 6883)
	PEOWP 2006-07 (Cm 7156)
	PEOWP reports provisional outturn figures for the year against the final HM Treasury control totals on the basis of the budgeting regime that applied in-year. Spending is reported for departments as they were constituted at the end of the relevant year.

Departments: Public Expenditure

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development in which financial years since 2001 his Department's outturn for its capital budget at the end of the year was less than planned at the beginning of the year; and what the  (a) value and  (b) reason for the underspend was in each case.

Gareth Thomas: The National Audit Office measures spending performance against plans by comparing outturns against final provision following supplementary estimatesrather than against plans at the start of the yearas plans can change during the year for a number of reasons, such as machinery of government and classification changes. The definitive figures for final provision and provisional outturn are published each year in the Public Expenditure Outturns White Paper. Changes to plans arising in-year are published in Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses, as are differences between provisional and final outturns.
	Information about outturn against DFID's capital budget is included in Public Expenditure Outturn White Papers (PEOWP). References for these documents are:
	PEOWP 2001-02 (Cm 5574)
	PEOWP 2002-03 (Cm 5884)
	PEOWP 2003-04 (Cm 6293)
	PEOWP 2004-05 (Cm 6639)
	PEOWP 2005-06 (Cm 6883)
	PEOWP 2006-07 (Cm 7156)
	In all years, 2001-02 to 2006-07, the Department's outturn against capital budget was less than final provision. The values are as follows:
	
		
			  000 
			   Final provision  Provisional outturn  Underspend 
			 2001-02 328,160 323,800 4,360 
			 2002-03 13,374 -14,380 27,754 
			 2003-04 39,000 38,546 454 
			 2004-05 40,528 33,151 7,377 
			 2005-06 42,000 23,155 18,845 
			 2006-07 20,000 -9,092 29,092 
		
	
	The variances are explained by a combination of higher than expected loan receipts from loans made through multilateral organisations/and lower than expected capital expenditurefor example because of delays in office accommodation projects overseas, or re-phasing of IT investments.

Departments: Public Participation

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  how many citizens' juries have been arranged by his Department since June 2007; which organisations were commissioned to conduct each citizens' jury; and what the estimated cost is of each exercise;
	(2)  how many citizens' juries were arranged for  (a) his Department and  (b) his Department's agencies in each year since 1997; which organisations were commissioned to conduct each citizens' jury; and what the cost was of each.

Gareth Thomas: The Department for International Development has not arranged any citizens' juries since 1997.

Departments: Research

Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much of his Department's research budget will be spent on research into  (a) sustainable agriculture,  (b) life-threatening diseases,  (c) good governance,  (d) climate change technology and  (e) other matters up to 2010-11; and by what mechanisms funding in each category will be allocated to projects.

Douglas Alexander: The Central Research Department will spend approximately 710 million from now until 2010-11. Of this we estimate that approximately two thirds will be spent on research into sustainable agriculture, life-threatening diseases, good governance and climate change adaptation.
	However, a new research strategy is currently being developed to identify priorities for the period 2008-2013. This will determine the priorities and budget allocations during that five year period.
	Research projects are currently funded through a range of mechanisms including product development partnerships, core support to multilateral (for example, the Consultative Group on International Agriculture Research) and through bilateral research programmes. The new research strategy will identify which mechanisms we will use during 2008-2013.

Departments: Retirement

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many employees in  (a) his Department and  (b) each (i) executive agency and (ii) non-departmental public body funded by his Department applied to continue to work beyond state retirement age in the latest year or part thereof for which figures are available; and how many of those applications were successful.

Shahid Malik: From 1 January to 30 September 2007, nine members of staff in DFID reached the state retirement age and opted to work on. No one was declined this option.
	DFID does not have any staff in any executive agencies or non-departmental public bodies.

Departments: Written Questions

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many and what percentage of questions tabled to his Department for answer on a named day received a substantive reply on the day named in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Douglas Alexander: In the period from September 2006 to September 2007, a total of 226 named day parliamentary questions were tabled to the Department for International Development, of which 204 received a substantive reply on the day named (90 per cent).

Export Credit Guarantees

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what advice his Department has provided to the Export Credits Guarantee Department (ECGD) on the impact of the businesses supported by ECGD on achieving the Millennium Development Goals.

Gareth Thomas: Export Credits Guarantee Department's (ECGD) support for UK exporters to do business in the poorest countries is subject to the Government's productive expenditure guidelines. DFID provides advice to HM Treasury on each proposal on whether it is likely to make a positive contribution to the country's economic and social development, whether it is consistent with national development plans and whether it is consistent with the Government's objectives on ensuring countries do not take on too much debt. ECGD, DFID and HM Treasury are working together to secure an OECD agreement that will ensure a common approach to responsible support for business with the poorest countries.

Overseas Aid: Environment Protection

Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development by what means the effectiveness of the environmental transformation fund will be measured.

Douglas Alexander: The environment transformation fund (ETF) has an 800 million international window to be shared equally between DFID and DEFRA, and a domestic window of 370 million shared between DEFRA and DBERR. The international window will support development and poverty reduction through environmental protection, and help poor countries respond to climate change.
	HMG will consult widely in developing the detailed objectives and delivery plan for the use of the 800 million allocated to the international window. This will include proposals on how to monitor impact and performance of the fund. The international ETF will be operational from April 2008.
	A key focus of the international ETF should be on the development impact of climate change, through mitigation and adaptation. 50 million has already been earmarked for tackling deforestation in the Congo Basin.

Overseas Aid: Environment Protection

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much he has allocated to overseas conservation organisations aimed at improving the use of natural resources and protecting endangered species in developing countries, with particular reference to primates.

Gareth Thomas: DFID's priority, as expressed in the International Development Act, is the reduction of poverty. Any DFID engagement in overseas conservation must therefore deliver direct and tangible benefits to the poor.
	DFID contributions relevant to overseas conservation and development are channelled through a range of mechanisms. DFID contributes 15.4 million per year to biodiversity conservation through the Global Environment Facility (GEF), WWF-UK and the Overseas Territories Environment Programme (OTEP). The UK is one of the largest contributors to the GEF, and DFID provides the largest share of the OTEP across HMG. Our research programmes, notably the Ecosystem Services and Poverty Reduction (30 million over five years) and our contribution to the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research institutions (10 million/year) will also deliver important collateral benefits to conservation. Our contribution to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) (6 million/four years), our work on advising the UN Convention on Biological Diversity on forest and fisheries governance, and the incorporation of environmental issues into national development programmes, will also benefit conservation.
	This year the UK also announced the three year 800 million Environmental Transformation Fund to support sustainable development and poverty reduction through environmental protection and help developing countries respond to climate change.

Palestinians: International Assistance

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 16 July 2007,  Official Report, column 138W, on Palestinians: international assistance, what progress has been made by the EU towards urgently developing the conditions for direct practical and financial assistance to the Palestinian Emergency Government; and what the UK role has been in this regard.

Shahid Malik: The UK, European Commission (EC) and other EU donors are already providing financial and practical assistance to the Palestinian Authority (PA). On 24 July, the EC announced $123 million (62 million) of extra funding for 2007. EU donors Sweden and France have committed direct budgetary support. The UK is helping the PA to prepare a reform and development plan and improve financial management systems, as a basis for more significant medium-term donor support. On 17 July, DFID also announced 3 million to help the PA pay off debts to the private sector.

Sudan: Politics and Government

John MacDougall: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the humanitarian situation in Darfur; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: The humanitarian situation in Darfur is deteriorating. The seasonal 'hunger gap' has been more acute this year with higher than expected rates of malnutrition, particularly in the camps. Furthermore, ongoing clashes have meant that the number of people displaced continues to rise: a further 260,000 people this year alone, adding to the more than two million people already living in camps across the region. The camps are overstretched and becoming increasingly volatile. Recent violence in Kalma camp, South Darfur, has re-displaced up to 30,000 people.
	The increase in needs has been compounded by an escalation of attacks by armed groups against humanitarian agencies. Since the start of the year, over 100 humanitarian vehicles have been hijacked, often violently, and five humanitarian aid workers have been killed. This is having a serious impact on the ability of humanitarian agencies to deliver vital aid to those in need.
	The UK is prominent in urging all sides to immediately cease hostilities, attend the proposed peace talks in Libya and respect the neutrality of humanitarian workers.

Zimbabwe: Sanitary Protection

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department has taken to address the lack of access to basic sanitary protection for women in Zimbabwe.

Gareth Thomas: DFID provides up to 40 million per year to assist Zimbabweans in need. The problem of sanitary provision in Zimbabwe is part of a wider economic and governance crisis which has led to an acute shortage of basic and essential goods.
	During this crisis, DFID is providing substantial direct assistance to protect livelihoods, tackle HIV/AIDS, and help meet the humanitarian needs of more than 1.5 million poor people in Zimbabwe. Some of our NGO partners are providing sanitary products to girls and young women as part of a 22 million programme in support of orphans and vulnerable children. DFID-supported programmes also provide cash to poor people to help meet basic needs such as food, education and healthincluding sanitary provision.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Armed Forces: Multiple Sclerosis

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many service personnel were diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and discharged under the old war pension scheme (AFCS75)  (a) with and  (b) without the award of attributable benefits;
	(2)  how many service personnel were released other than on medical grounds but have subsequently been awarded war pensions (AFCS75) and attributable benefits because they suffered symptoms of multiple sclerosis whilst serving;
	(3)  how many service personnel with multiple sclerosis were discharged under the new scheme (AFCS05)  (a) with and  (b) without attributable benefits;
	(4)  how many service personnel have been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis whilst still serving and have been awarded benefits under the AFCS05 scheme.

Derek Twigg: I have been asked to reply.
	Multiple sclerosis is a disorder whose cause is currently unknown. There is no published peer-reviewed scientific or medical evidence to suggest any link with particular occupations including between any factor of service in the armed forces and the development of multiple sclerosis.
	Information is not held centrally as to the total number of serving and retired service personnel suffering from multiple sclerosis and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	Records do however show that there are 380 former service personnel currently in receipt of a war disablement pension under the War Pension Scheme (WPS), with an accepted claim for multiple sclerosis. The records do not identify when these pensioners were diagnosed with multiple sclerosis or whether it was the reason for their discharge.
	The WPS provides no-fault compensation for all former service personnel disabled as a result of their service in the armed forces before 6 April 2005. Awards are made under the WPS where, on the individual case facts and under the legislation, a causal link to service can be accepted. The WPS onus and standard of proof mean that causal links may be lawfully recognised which do not reflect contemporary medical evidence. Where a disablement has clinical onset during service and leads to medical discharge, claims are automatically considered. In that situation or where a claim is made within seven years of service termination, entitlement will be certified unless it can be shown by evidence beyond reasonable doubt that service has played no part in the cause or course of the disorder. In these circumstances claims for multiple sclerosis may succeed on that basis.
	Any service personnel who develop multiple sclerosis in service and are medically discharged may be entitled to ill-health benefits under the terms of their occupational pension scheme.
	Information is not held centrally which can identify former service personnel released on non-medical grounds, who have subsequently been awarded war pensions for suffering the symptoms of multiple sclerosis while in service. To obtain the information would involve the examination of individual files which could be done only at disproportionate costthere are currently around 178,000 people in receipt of a war disablement pension.
	No service personnel have been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and awarded attributable benefits under the Armed Forces Pension Scheme. Less than five service personnel have been discharged without benefits. The scheme provides no-fault compensation for all serving and former service personnel for injury/illness caused on or after 6 April 2005. It awards benefits where the evidence shows, on the balance of probabilities, that service is the predominant cause of the injury or disorder.

Cemeteries

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many  (a) serious injuries and  (b) deaths resulted from unsafe gravestones in each year since 2000.

Anne McGuire: holding answer 25 October 2007
	Reliable data for the period requested are not available. However, the available data show that 21 serious accidents caused by falling gravestones and memorials, were reported to the Health and Safety Executive over the last seven years, including three fatalities.

Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the projected total cost is of establishing the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission.

James Plaskitt: Officials are currently developing plans to establish the Commission. As these plans are still under development cost estimates are subject to change and it is therefore not possible to provide the requested information at this time. We expect to have robust cost estimates by the time the Child Maintenance and Other Payments Bill receives Royal Assent.

Child Support Agency

Michael Jack: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what opportunities existing employees of the Child Support Agency will have to work for its successor body; and if he will make a statement.

James Plaskitt: The people employed in the Child Support Agency are its biggest asset, and they will be critical in developing the modern, innovative service that needs to be put in place.
	All people who carry out functions of the Child Support Agency in Great Britain will move to the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission, at the same time as the functions are transferred.
	People transferring will be given the full protection of the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006.

Child Support Agency: ICT

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what contracted-out IT projects for the Child Support Agency have been concluded since 1997; how many times the specification for each such project was changed; and what changes in specification were made.

James Plaskitt: holding answer 25 October 2007
	The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive. He will write to the hon. Member.
	 Letter from Duncan Gilchrist, dated 29 October 2007:
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what contracted-out IT projects for the Child Support Agency have been concluded since 1997; how many times the specification for each such project was changed; and what changes in specification were made. (160372)
	All contracted out IT projects since 1997 were incorporated into the Child Support Reforms programme and subsequently the Operational Improvement Plan supplied by EDS and BT. Although the CS2 system developed by EDS still had residual defects the Child Support Reforms programme was technically concluded in August 2005 with a 107m downward adjustment to the contracted cost, which was used by the Department to help fund the Operational Improvement Plan. In addition to the contracted scope for the Child Support Reforms programme, the Agency requested 130 detailed changes, plus the development of a management information system.
	Following a period of requirements development an outsourced programme to deliver the IT Strand of the Agency's Operational Improvement Plan was started in November 2006. This programme comprises a number of interconnected projects some of which have been delivered. Completed projects with the Operational Improvement Programme IT Strand are:
	CS2 bulk conversion capability
	CS2 top priority defect fixes
	Support for external debt collection agencies
	Clerical database enhancements
	Interim telephony enhancements
	Interim workflow enhancements
	CS2 performance enhancements
	Incorporation of the DWP Customer Information System (as a replacement to the Departmental Central Index)
	Upgrades to the complaints handling system
	The major components of the programme, fundamentally enhanced CS2 and telephony applications to support the Agency's new business model, are scheduled for delivery by EDS and BT to the Agency in the current financial year. So far there has been one change to the detailed requirements for the CS2 project, which has been absorbed by EDS without any impact on cost. This change involved numerous low level detailed changes to support more efficient running in the operational environment.
	I hope you find this answer helpful.

Children: Maintenance

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many non-resident parents the Child Support Agency is seeking to collect maintenance from in each London constituency.

James Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive. He will write to the hon. Member.
	 Letter from Stephen Geraghty, dated 29 October 2007:
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many non-resident parents the Child Support Agency is seeking to collect maintenance from in each London constituency.
	The number of cases where the Child Support Agency is seeking to collect maintenance from a non-resident parent living in a London constituency is provided in the attached table. This includes all cases in which a positive maintenance liability exists. The available information relates to cases only, a non-resident parent may have more than one case.
	
		
			  The number of cases in London parliamentary constituencies with a positive maintenance liability: September 2007 
			   Cases with a positive maintenance liability 
			  Parliamentary constituency  New scheme  Old scheme 
			 Barking 830 440 
			 Battersea 540 190 
			 Beckenham 560 270 
			 Bethnal Green and Bow 660 370 
			 Bexleyheath and Crayford 500 440 
			 Brent East 560 280 
			 Brent North 340 160 
			 Brent South 720 500 
			 Brentford and Isleworth 570 350 
			 Bromley and Chislehurst 420 330 
			 Camberwell and Peckham 1,070 400 
			 Carshalton and Wallington 610 370 
			 Chingford and Woodford Green 370 240 
			 Chipping Barnet 340 220 
			 Cities of London and Westminster 450 300 
			 Croydon Central 950 720 
			 Croydon North 1,170 530 
			 Croydon South 500 340 
			 Dagenham 740 470 
			 Dulwich and West Norwood 820 400 
			 Ealing, Acton and Shepherd's Bush 700 350 
			 Ealing North 650 390 
			 Ealing, Southall 680 490 
			 East Ham 750 430 
			 Edmonton 760 390 
			 Eltham 600 480 
			 Enfield North 700 430 
			 Enfield, Southgate 340 180 
			 Erith and Thamesmead 1,000 830 
			 Feltham and Heston 920 530 
			 Finchley and Golders Green 360 280 
			 Greenwich and Woolwich 790 460 
			 Hackney North and Stoke Newington 720 340 
			 Hackney South and Shoreditch 910 370 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 550 420 
			 Hampstead and Highgate 360 210 
			 Harrow East 440 230 
			 Harrow West 320 330 
			 Hayes and Harlington 640 420 
			 Hendon 790 510 
			 Holborn and St. Pancras 600 300 
			 Hornchurch 370 380 
			 Hornsey and Wood Green 560 270 
			 Ilford North 420 280 
			 Ilford South 650 260 
			 Islington North 650 340 
			 Islington South and Finsbury 560 230 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 220 130 
			 Kingston and Surbiton 450 340 
			 Lewisham, Deptford 840 530 
			 Lewisham East 600 470 
			 Lewisham West 770 540 
			 Leyton and Wanstead 570 270 
			 Mitcham and Morden 680 380 
			 North Southwark and Bermondsey 1,000 520 
			 Old Bexley and Sidcup 410 410 
			 Orpington 540 410 
			 Poplar and Canning Town 960 480 
			 Putney 380 250 
			 Regent's park and North Kensington 750 340 
			 Richmond Park 240 260 
			 Romford 460 480 
			 Ruislip-Northwood 300 200 
			 Streatham 970 350 
			 Sutton and Cheam 440 380 
			 Tooting 460 290 
			 Tottenham 1,210 420 
			 Twickenham 340 380 
			 Upminster 390 330 
			 Uxbridge 410 500 
			 Vauxhall 1,160 510 
			 Walthamstow 660 430 
			 West Ham 830 480 
			 Wimbledon 240 130 
			  Notes: 1. Figures include all cases from CS2 and CSCS computer systems where a positive maintenance liability exists. This includes cases with a positive maintenance outcome as well as those which are nil compliant or positively assessed but not charging. 2. The latest available data is at September 2007. 3. All figures are rounded to the nearest 10.

Children: Maintenance

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many Child Support Agency cases in  (a) the East of England and  (b) Suffolk have been outstanding for more than five years.

James Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive. He will write to the hon. Member.
	 Letter from Duncan Gilchrist, dated 29 October 2007:
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Child Support Agency cases in (a) the East of England and (b) Suffolk have been outstanding for more than five years.
	The Agency begins to process new applications as soon as they are received and continues until they have been cleared. It should be noted that that an outstanding or uncleared application is not necessarily the same as an unprocessed one. The amount of work required to clear a case and the time involved varies considerably depending on, amongst other things, the circumstances of the parents and how readily they co-operate with the Agency. Uncleared applications will be at varying stages in the application processes, with very few being completely unprocessed.
	As at the end of September 2007, the Agency had 160 uncleared new scheme cases over 5 years old in the East of England of which 20 were in Suffolk. New scheme uncleared cases over 5 years old are those which were previously under the old scheme, and have been converted to the new scheme via a new scheme calculation. When a new child support application is made, it may be established that the case has one or more links, through the parent with care or non-resident parent or their partners, to existing cases. If a link is established to one or more cases on the old computer system (CSCS), these cases will be transferred to the new computer system (CS2), along with any further cases that are linked to this chain. This is known as reactive migration.
	As at the end of September 2007, the Agency had, 1,750 transitional cases uncleared over 5 years old in the East of England of which 130 were in Suffolk. Transitional cases are those subject to the rules of the old Child Support Scheme but which are held on the new scheme computer system, CS2.
	Management information on the number of uncleared cases broken down into regions or counties for old scheme cases processed on the CSCS system is not available.
	I hope you find this answer helpful.

Children: Maintenance

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the cost of raising the child support maintenance disregard for parents on benefits to  (a) 20 per week from October 2008 and  (b) 40 per week from April 2010.

James Plaskitt: We estimate that the cost of increasing the child maintenance disregard to 20 per week by the end of 2008 will be 40 million in 2008-09 and 80 million in 2009-10. Further increasing the child maintenance disregard to 40 per week from April 2010 will cost 140 million in 2010-11. These costs include a full disregard in housing benefit and council tax benefit.

Children: Maintenance

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the savings to be made from child maintenance reform and elsewhere in his Department in order to pay for the higher child support maintenance disregard for parents on benefits, as mentioned in the pre-Budget report and comprehensive spending review.

James Plaskitt: The Department's CSR 07 Settlement requires it to reduce its expenditure by 5 per cent. per annum in real terms. A value for money delivery agreement setting out how those savings will be realised will be published in December. The cost of meeting the higher child maintenance disregard from 2010-11 has been factored into the planning that will inform that value for money agreement.

Children: Maintenance

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how the specified budget for the proposed child support advice and information services will be affected by his Department's decrease in its budget by 5 per cent. per year on average in real terms.

James Plaskitt: The resources planned for the proposed child maintenance information and support services will be fully provided for from within the funding available to the Department across the CSR 07 period.

Children: Maintenance

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families on child support reform.

James Plaskitt: Ministers from the Department for Work and Pensions and the Department for Children, Schools and Families meet regularly on a range of issues of common interestincluding child maintenance reform.

Children: Maintenance

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of non-resident parents with a present child support liability who, as a result of transfer of their case to the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission from 2010 onwards, will see their weekly liability alter by  (a) between 0 to 10,  (b) between 10 to 20,  (c) between 20 to 30 and  (d) by more than 30 as a result of the difference between their current assessment and the new calculation based on historic tax year information.

James Plaskitt: The information requested is not available.
	With the increased focus on voluntary arrangements and the ending of the requirement that parents with care on benefit be treated as applying for child maintenance, not all of the current Child Support Agency caseload will choose to use the statutory maintenance service. Since we do not know the precise composition of the resulting caseload, it is not possible to estimate the impact on those existing cases of moving to the Commission.
	Figures on the amounts paid under the second child support scheme and statutory maintenance arrangements under different income levels and for different family sizes can be found in table 2, page 19 of the Regulatory Impact Assessment which accompanied the Child Maintenance and Other Payments Bill.

Children: Maintenance

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many child support cases of  (a) up to one year,  (b) one to two years,  (c) two to three years,  (d) three to four years,  (e) four to five years and  (f) five or more years of age have never been reassessed since originally calculated.

James Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is the matter for the Chief Executive. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Duncan Gilchrist, dated 29 October 2007:
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many child support cases of (a) up to one year (b) one to two years (c) two to three years (d) three to four years (e) four to five years and (f) five or more years of age have never been reassessed since originally calculated.
	The Management Information is only available from the CS2 computer system. The requested information is provided in the attached table.
	I hope you find this answer helpful.
	
		
			  Number of cases on CS2 by age and assessment status: September 2007 
			  Age of case  Cases not reassessed 
			 Under One Year 69,800 
			 One to Two Years 69,100 
			 Two to Three Years 53,400 
			 Three to Four Years 46,000 
			 Four to Five Years 22,900 
			 Over Five Years 64,100 
			  Notes: 1. Includes all open cases with an assessment on CS2 at September 2007. 2. Volumes rounded to the nearest 100.

Children: Poverty

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what his Department's latest estimate is of the number of children in  (a) the UK,  (b) Wales,  (c) Scotland and  (d) England living below the poverty line; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many and what proportion of children in  (a) the UK,  (b) Wales,  (c) Scotland and  (d) England were living below the poverty line in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what his Department's latest estimate is of the number of households in  (a) the UK,  (b) Wales,  (c) Scotland and  (d) England living below the poverty line; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  how many and what proportion of households in  (a) the UK,  (b) Wales,  (c) Scotland and  (d) England were living below the poverty line in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement;
	(5)  what his Department's latest estimate is of the number of disabled children in  (a) the UK,  (b) Wales,  (c) Scotland and  (d) England living below the poverty line; and if he will make a statement;
	(6)  how many and what proportion of disabled children in  (a) the UK,  (b) Wales,  (c) Scotland and  (d) England were living below the poverty line in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement;
	(7)  what his Department's latest estimate is of the number of lone parents in  (a) the UK,  (b) Wales,  (c) Scotland and  (d) England living below the poverty line; and if he will make a statement;
	(8)  how many and what proportion of lone parents in  (a) the UK,  (b) Wales,  (c) Scotland and  (d) England were living below the poverty line in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: The information requested has been placed in the Library.

Council Tax Benefits: Pensioners

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the campaign his Department is running to promote the take-up of council tax benefit by pensioners; and what assessment he has made of the impact of this campaign so far.

James Plaskitt: holding answer 17 October 2007
	The three page claim form that has been introduced means less bureaucracy and better service for pension credit customers. One phone call can give customers access to four benefitspension credit, state retirement pension, council tax benefit (CTB) and housing benefit (HB). This form is completed for the customer. All they need to do is check it, sign it and send it back.
	We are taking other measures to promote the take up of CTB. There are annual awareness campaigns. We have provided local authorities with best practice guidance that contains information about barriers to claiming, ways of overcoming them, and case study examples of good practice to improve take-up. We have supported the three page form arrangements with computer scans run by the Pension Service to discover people getting pension credit but not CTB and this information is passed to local authorities. We encourage local authorities to do take-up activity through our performance standards and have awarded 2.2 million to 38 authorities to increase CTB take-up.
	In the longer term, we want to deliver CTB as accessibly, simply and securely as possible. We want to research the feasibility of using data held across Government to build profiles of people likely to be entitled. We also want to develop the concept of a single point of contact for pensioners, coupled with alignment of application processes that will provide greater efficiency and a better public service.
	Our assessment shows that enabling people to access CTB and HB via the Pension Service has resulted so far in over 65,000 more people being paid those benefits.

Crimes of Violence: Public Sector

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many assaults on local government public sector workers there were in each year since 1992, broken down by local authority.

Anne McGuire: holding answer 15 October 2007
	A table of the available data on assaults to local government employees, broken down by local authority, between 1996-97 and 2002-03 has been placed in the Library as requested.
	Changes to the data collection system in 2002-03 mean that HSE cannot provide figures after that date for local authorities as opposed to figures for public sector workers generally.

Departments: Assets

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what departmental assets are planned to be sold in each financial year from 2007-08 to 2010-11; what the  (a) description and  (b) book value of each such asset is; and what the expected revenue from each such sale is.

Anne McGuire: DWP disposed of its vehicle fleet during 2007-08 and entered into a contract for vehicle services. The Department received revenue from this disposal equal to the net book value of approximately 10.5 million. This was the last of DWP's major assets to be disposed of as it moves from asset ownership to contracting for services. There are no material disposals planned for 2008-09 to 2010-11.

Departments: Contracts

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much of the Department's expenditure and what percentage is directed towards contracted provision.

Anne McGuire: holding answer 8 October 2007
	 In the 2006-07 financial year the Department for Work and Pension's total expenditure (including VAT) on contracted provision was 4,270 million. This represents 3.36 per cent. of the Department's total budget. In line with Treasury guidance the total budget figure used in this calculation comprises both the Department's departmental expenditure limit and annually managed expenditure. It should be noted that the Department's annually managed expenditure largely covers the cost of benefit payments.

Departments: Correspondence

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what guidance his Department follows on the maximum time taken to respond to hon. Members' correspondence; and what performance against that target was in the most recent period for which figures are available.

James Plaskitt: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office (Edward Miliband) on 22 October 2007,  Official Report, column 45W.

Departments: Cost Effectiveness

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will place in the Library a breakdown of his Department's efficiency savings in relation to its Spending Review 2004 (SR04) targets, including  (a) the efficiency projects in the Department,  (b) the date on which they were initiated and  (c) how much each was predicted to contribute to the SR04 target.

Anne McGuire: The Department's Spending Review 2004 Efficiency Technical Note was published in December 2005. This set out the SR2004 efficiency targets and how these would be measured. A copy of the DWP Efficiency Technical Note can be found on our website at: http://www.dwp.gov.uk/aboutus/efficiency_tech_note.pdf
	Progress on delivery of the efficiency targets is reported six monthly in the Departmental Report and the Autumn Performance Report. The Departmental Report for 2007 [Cm7105], published in May, is the latest publication. This can be found on our website at: http://www.dwp.gov.uk/publications/dwp/2007/dr07/
	Updated figures will be available in the Autumn Performance Report when it is published at the end of November.
	DWP is on track to achieve all of its SR2004 efficiency targets.
	The major efficiency projects, grouped by business, the date they were initiated and the amount they were predicted to contribute to the SR2004 target in the first return made to OGC (Office of Government Commerce) is in the following table.
	
		
			  Project  Date initiated  Contribution to SR2004 Efficiency Programme( 1)  ( million) 
			  Jobcentre Plus   
			 Jobcentre Plus Implementation 2003-04 329 
			 Centralisation of Benefit Processing 2004-05 70 
			
			  The Pension Service   
			 The Pension Transformation Programme 2001-02 155 
			
			  Disability and Carers Service   
			 DCS Change Programme 2003-04 10 
			
			  Corporate Centre and Enabling Functions   
			 Payment Modernisation Programme 1999-2000 317 
			 Finance Transformation Programme 2000-01 139 
			 Direct Payment Initiative 2003-04 34 
			 IT Transformation Programme 2003-04 371 
			 HR Change Programme 2003-04 25 
			
			 Other  93 
			 Total  1,543 
			 (1 )As forecast in the first return to OGC.

Departments: Disabled

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which buildings occupied by his Department  (a) are and  (b) are not fully accessible to disabled people; and if he will make a statement.

Anne McGuire: My Department is the major occupier of 1,191 buildings. No central data are held of the number of these buildings which are or are not considered to be fully accessible to disabled people.
	Where there are access difficulties for disabled people, my Department makes appropriate reasonable adjustments to its arrangements for the recruitment and employment of staff, and the services and functions it delivers to its users, in accordance with the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995.

Departments: Location

Michael Jack: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department is taking to provide a regular public transport service for those staff members whose work is to be relocated to Peel Hill from the Government Offices site at Moreland road, St. Anne's; and if he will make a statement.

Anne McGuire: A variety of options for the provision of a bus service are currently being evaluated by the Department in order to establish the most cost- effective, practical and efficient solution.

Departments: Manpower

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how the number of posts in his Department will be affected by the decrease in its budget by 5 per cent. per year on average in real terms.

Anne McGuire: The Department's staffing over the SR 07 period will be determined as part of its business plan for 2008-09 to 2010-11.

Departments: Ministerial Policy Advisers

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the name is of each special adviser in his Department.

Anne McGuire: The annual list of special adviser names will be published shortly.

Departments: Orders and Regulations

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many statutory instruments were laid before Parliament by his Department between 2 November 2005 and 1 July 2007.

Anne McGuire: The Department for Work and Pensions laid 181 statutory instruments before Parliament between 2 November 2005 and 1 July 2007.

Departments: Public Expenditure

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what dates his Department breached its  (a) resource,  (b) near-cash,  (c) administration and  (d) capital budgets; what the value of each breach was; and what the reason was for each breach.

Anne McGuire: The Department for Work and Pensions breached its capital budget in the 2003-04 financial year. The value of the breach was 31 million. The reason for the breach was a change in the accounting policy. During the 2003-04 financial year DWP reviewed its accounting policy in respect of capitalisation of expenditure on improvements to leasehold properties. As a result of this review the policy was changed so that expenditure in respect of major capital refurbishment and improvement of properties occupied but not owned was capitalised as leasehold improvements.
	The change in accounting policy was not anticipated at the time of the 2003-04 Spring Supplementary Estimate. Consequently, outturn exceeded provision resulting in the breach.
	No other breach of the budget totals referred to has occurred in the period.

Departments: Public Expenditure

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in which financial years since 2001 his Department's outturn for its capital budget at the end of the year was less than planned at the beginning of the year; and what the  (a) value and  (b) reason for the underspend was in each case.

Anne McGuire: The Department of Work and Pensions outturn for its capital budget was not less than planned at the beginning of the year for the period covered by the question.

Departments: Public Expenditure

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what departmental budget items have been reclassified, under Consolidated Budgeting Guidance, following Comprehensive Spending Review 2007 decisions; and what the  (a) former and  (b) new (i) classification and (ii) sum budgeted is in each case.

Anne McGuire: The Department has not reclassified any budget items as a result of the Comprehensive Spending Review 2007 (CSR07).
	The detail of all classification changes in resource and capital budgets made since publication of the Consolidated Budgeting Guidance 2007 will be published shortly after Budget 2008 in chapter three of Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses 2008.

Departments: Public Participation

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many citizens' juries were arranged by his Department since June 2007; which organisations have been commissioned to conduct each citizens' jury; and what the estimated cost is of each exercise.

Anne McGuire: The Department for Work and Pensions has not arranged any citizens' juries since June 2007.

Departments: Public Participation

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many citizens' juries were arranged for  (a) his Department and  (b) his Department's agencies in each year since 1997; which organisations were commissioned to conduct each citizens' jury; and what the cost was of each.

Anne McGuire: Data from 1997 are not readily available and would require a significant review of all engagement activities and analysis of the techniques used, extracting costs for citizens' juries at a disproportionate cost.

Departments: Retirement

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many employees in  (a) his Department and  (b) each (i) executive agency and (ii) non-departmental public body funded by his Department applied to continue to work beyond state retirement age in the latest year or part thereof for which figures are available; and how many of those applications were successful.

Mike O'Brien: The Department for Work and Pensions abolished its mandatory retirement age in October 2006. Since then staff below the senior civil service can, if they wish to, simply carry on working past the minimum civil service pension age. They do not have to apply to continue working. Consequently no information is available on numbers of applications or numbers of successful applications.
	No information is available for agencies and non-departmental bodies.

Departments: Written Questions

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what percentage of questions tabled to his Department for answer on a named day received a substantive reply on the day named in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Anne McGuire: In the period from 26 October 2006 to 25 October 2007 605 named day parliamentary questions were tabled to the Department for Work and Pensions, of which 180 received a substantive answer by the named day.

Disability Living Allowance: East Midlands

Dennis Skinner: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many  (a) men and  (b) women in each constituency in the East Midlands receive the care component higher rate of disability living allowance.

Anne McGuire: The available information is in the following table.
	
		
			  Disability living allowance highest rate care componentcases in payment: East Midlands Government Office region by parliamentary constituency of claimant (February 2007) 
			   Female  Male 
			 Amber Valley 590 550 
			 Ashfield 620 650 
			 Bassetlaw 620 600 
			 Blaby 380 360 
			 Bolsover 700 710 
			 Boston and Skegness 610 600 
			 Bosworth 400 380 
			 Broxtowe 490 380 
			 Charnwood 360 310 
			 Chesterfield 640 670 
			 Corby 490 480 
			 Daventry 380 360 
			 Derby North 490 520 
			 Derby South 700 670 
			 Erewash 520 490 
			 Gainsborough 460 440 
			 Gedling 410 450 
			 Grantham and Stamford 430 420 
			 Harborough 390 320 
			 High Peak 480 430 
			 Kettering 410 420 
			 Leicester East 610 540 
			 Leicester South 610 580 
			 Leicester West 540 590 
			 Lincoln 460 560 
			 Loughborough 330 330 
			 Louth and Horncastle 760 770 
			 Mansfield 680 650 
			 Newark 430 450 
			 North East Derbyshire 550 530 
			 North West Leicestershire 440 410 
			 Northampton North 430 450 
			 Northampton South 470 480 
			 Nottingham East 590 630 
			 Nottingham North 770 790 
			 Nottingham South 540 490 
			 Rushcliffe 370 350 
			 Rutland and Melton 260 280 
			 Sherwood 600 610 
			 Sleaford and North Hykeham 510 490 
			 South Derbyshire 560 630 
			 South Holland and The Deepings 480 410 
			 Wellingborough 450 470 
			 West Derbyshire 370 350 
			  Notes: 1. Caseload figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Totals show the number of people in receipt of an allowance, and exclude people with entitlement where the payment has been suspended, for example if they are in hospital. 3. Totals may not sum due to rounding. 4. Some additional disclosure control has also been applied.  Source: DWP Information Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study

Discrimination: Age

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department has taken to combat ageism in the workplace; how many legal claims have been made against employers relating to ageism in the last five years, broken down by  (a) age and  (b) sector; and if he will make a statement.

Patrick McFadden: I have been asked to reply.
	The Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006 (SI 2006/1031) came into force on 1 October 2006. These regulations outlaw unjustified age discrimination in employment and vocational training. Provisions relating to occupational pensions came into force on 1 December 2006. The regulations give individuals important new rights, extend existing rights and speed up removal of traditional barriers. Figures on the number of legal claims made against employers relating to ageism in the last five years are not currently available as the regulations have only been in force since 1 October 2006. These will be provided by the ETS in its annual report. ETS does not routinely collect information on the age and sector of claimants, but BERR does carry out periodic surveys of employment tribunal findings. The last was carried out in 2003 (DTI/Pub 7531/0.9k/08/04/AR. URN 04/1071). The next survey is due to be carried out in 2008 and will include among other things information on the age and sector of claimants.

Employee Assistance Programme

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what guidance he has issued to employers on financial arrangements for employee assistance programmes; what recent steps he has taken to promote the programme to employers; and what recent discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on employee assistance programmes.

Caroline Flint: holding answer 23 July 2007
	No discussions have taken place with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on employee assistance programmes and the Government have not published guidance to employers on financial arrangements for employee assistance programmes. No promotional activity has taken place.

Employers' Liability: East Midlands

Dennis Skinner: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of companies in the East Midlands with invalid or insufficient liability insurance.

Anne McGuire: I refer to the answer given to the hon. Member's question dated 18 October 2006 and recorded in Hansard under reference 30 October 2006,  Official Report, column 11W.
	HSE remains unaware of any complaints in the East Midlands concerned with deficiencies in ELCI policies. There have been no prosecutions brought by HSE in the East Midlands under the Employers' Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Act 1969 since the previous answer.

Employment

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will give a breakdown of the number of people in employment in the UK who were  (a) UK citizens,  (b) citizens of other EU states and  (c) citizens of non-EU states in each year since 1971.

Caroline Flint: The following table provides the information requested. Data are only available back as far as spring 1995 broken down by nationality. The figures quoted are based on population estimates published in 2003. A note placed in the Library in response to PQ/07/157946 provides a broader context for changes in employment since 1997.
	
		
			  Quarter spring  UK nationals  non UK, EU nationals  non-EU nationals 
			 1995 24,760,000 440,000 420,000 
			 1996 25,000,000 420,000 430,000 
			 1997 25,310,000 450,000 510,000 
			 1998 25,450,000 500,000 550,000 
			 1999 25,780,000 500,000 530,000 
			 2000 26,050,000 510,000 610,000 
			 2001 26,210,000 540,000 660,000 
			 2002 26,270,000 560,000 730,000 
			 2003 26,470,000 550,000 800,000 
			 2004 26,530,000 590,000 890,000 
			 2005 26,620,000 650,000 900,000 
			 2006 26,500,000 750,000 1,050,000 
			 Quarter 2 2006(1) 26,520,000 750,000 1,070,000 
			 Quarter 2 2007(1) 26,350,000 980,000 1,110,000 
			 (1) Quarter 2 for years 2006 and 2007 have been used in place of summer quarters as after spring 2006 seasonal quarters are no longer available. For periods after 2006 we only have calendar quarters available. Calendar quarters do not have as extensive a time series available. Spring quarters cover months March to May, Quarter 2 covers April to June.  Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10,000. 2. These figures are subject to seasonal variation and fluctuate to some extent from quarter to quarter. 3. As these figures are based on a sample survey they are also subject to sampling variability. 4. It should be noted that the nationality question in the LFS is an undercount because: it excludes those who have not been resident in the UK for six months it excludes students in halls who do not have a UK resident parent it excludes people in most other types of communal establishments (e.g. hotels, boarding houses, hostels, mobile home sites, etc.) it is grossed to population estimates that only include migrants staying for 12 months or more.  Source:  Labour Force Survey, Q2 1997, Q2 2007.

Employment

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many  (a) UK nationals and  (b) foreign nationals were employed in the UK in (i) 1997 and (ii) the most recent period for which figures are available; what those figures are as a percentage of those in employment in the UK; and what the percentage change in each of these figures was in the relevant period.

Caroline Flint: holding answer 15 October 2007
	 The following table provides the information requested, as well as information on employment rates. As shown, the employment rates of both UK nationals and foreign nationals have improved during the period. The employment rate for UK nationals is higher than that of foreign nationals but the gap is closing.
	The total number in employment in the UK in 2007 is shown to be 28.4 million. This figure is based on estimates made in 2003 of the population in 2007 because these are the latest estimates available for use in respect of particular categories of the labour force such as migrants. The Labour Market Statistics release produced by the Office for National Statistics shows the total employment level to be 29.10 million. This figure is based on estimates made in 2005 of the population in 2007, the latest estimates which can be used for the total employment level.
	The increase in the number of foreign nationals in employment in the UK since 1997 is shown to be 1.1 million. This figure differs from the figure of 0.8 million given in PQ/07/154368 for reasons set out in the answer to PQ/07/157946. A note placed in the Library in response to PQ/07/157946 provides a broader context for changes in employment since 1997.
	
		
			   Employment level (million)  Percentage of those in employment  Employment rate  (Percentage) 
			   UK nationals  Foreign nationals  Total  UK nationals  Foreign nationals  UK nationals  Foreign nationals  Total 
			 1997 25.4 1.0 26.4 96.3 3.7 73.2 60.6 72.6 
			 2007 26.3 2.1 28.4 92.7 7.3 74.8 67.6 74.2 
			 Net change 1.0 1.1 2.1 -3.7 3.7 1.6 7.0 1.5 
			 Percentage change 3.8 115.0 7.9 -3.8 99.3 2.1 11.6 2.1 
			  Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 100,000. 2. These figures are subject to seasonal variation and fluctuate to some extent from quarter to quarter. 3. As these figures are based on a sample survey they are also subject to sampling variability. 4. It should be noted that the nationality question in the LFS is an undercount because:- it excludes those who have not been resident in the UK for six months it excludes students in halls who do not have a UK resident parent it excludes people in most other types of communal establishments (e.g. hotels, boarding houses, hostels, mobile home sites, etc.) it is grossed to population estimates that only include migrants staying for 12 months or more.  Source:  Labour Force Survey, Q2 1997, Q2 2007.

Financial Assistance Scheme

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of how much would be needed on average in each of the next 50 years in  (a) net present value and  (b) cash sum terms in order for the Financial Assistance Scheme to pay 90 per cent. of the (i) core and (ii) expected pensions of all those eligible for support; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: The 'core' pension as defined by the financial assistance scheme standardises some pension features for ease of administration and to protect the public purse. For example, payments start from 65 rather than scheme pension age and no indexation is provided. The cash and NPV costs of paying 90 per cent. of core pension are in the following table and sum to approximately 10 billion in cash terms.
	We do not have the data to estimate accurately an 'expected' pension. Schemes that qualify for the financial assistance scheme have very different scheme rules, for example, on indexation and revaluation (particularly for pre-1997 pension accruals), and it is not possible to make precise estimates of these differences.
	In the Government response to the report by the parliamentary ombudsman on occupational pensions (Trusting in the Pensions Promise, June 2006), we estimated the total cost of meeting expected pensions at between 13 billion and 17 billion in cash terms to reflect this uncertainty.
	
		
			   90 per cent. core pension 
			   Cash ( million)  Net present value ( million) 
			 2007 14 14 
			 2008 36 34 
			 2009 44 39 
			 2010 44 37 
			 2011 52 41 
			 2012 65 48 
			 2013 78 54 
			 2014 90 59 
			 2015 101 63 
			 2016 112 66 
			 2017 125 69 
			 2018 142 74 
			 2019 155 76 
			 2020 166 77 
			 2021 178 77 
			 2022 193 79 
			 2023 204 79 
			 2024 214 78 
			 2025 227 78 
			 2026 239 77 
			 2027 250 76 
			 2028 262 75 
			 2029 271 73 
			 2030 276 71 
			 2031 282 68 
			 2032 287 65 
			 2033 290 62 
			 2034 290 59 
			 2035 290 55 
			 2036 287 51 
			 2037 284 48 
			 2038 280 45 
			 2039 274 42 
			 2040 267 38 
			 2041 259 35 
			 2042 251 32 
			 2043 242 29 
			 2044 233 27 
			 2045 223 24 
			 2046 213 22 
			 2047 203 20 
			 2048 193 18 
			 2049 183 16 
			 2050 172 14 
			 2051 162 13 
			 2052 152 11 
			 2053 142 10 
			 2054 132 9 
			 2055 122 8 
			 2056 112 7 
			 2057 103 6 
			  Notes: 1. All figures are displayed in  million, rounded to the nearest 1 million. 2. Net present value is calculated according to HM Treasury Guidance.

Housing: Carbon Monoxide

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps the Government have taken to raise awareness of the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning in private student accommodation.

Anne McGuire: The Government last week gave full support to CO Awareness week that was designed to raise public appreciation of the dangers of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning.
	A ministerial group on gas safety this month received details from the gas and allied industries about plans this winter to publicise widely the dangers of CO poisoning. The role of the ministerial group was announced in June this year.
	Looking ahead, the Government have announced a major reform of the gas installer registration scheme, to include a new requirement on the appointed provider to promote new initiatives on raising public awareness of gas safety risks, including in student rented accommodation.

Incapacity Benefit

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many adults of working age were claiming incapacity benefits in  (a) each Welsh unitary authority,  (b) each English region,  (c) Wales,  (d) Scotland and  (e) Northern Ireland (i) in 1997, (ii) in 2001, (iii) in 2005 and (iv) at the latest date for which figures are available.

Anne McGuire: Information about Northern Ireland is a matter for my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. The available information is in the table.
	
		
			  Working age claimants of incapacity benefits by Welsh local authority 
			   February 
			   1997  2001  2005  2007 
			 Isle of Anglesey 4,400 4,400 4,190 3,870 
			 Gwynedd 6,800 6,410 6,060 5,860 
			 Conwy 6,500 6,690 6,490 6,250 
			 Denbighshire 6,500 6,180 6,080 5,850 
			 Flintshire 8,300 8,040 7,410 7,010 
			 Wrexham 10,200 8,600 8,070 7,740 
			 Powys 6,500 6,080 5,910 5,630 
			 Ceredigion 3,900 4,280 4,130 3,850 
			 Pembrokeshire 8,200 7,380 7,140 6,640 
			 Carmarthenshire 15,900 15,400 14,280 13,300 
			 Swansea 20,800 18,330 17,280 16,090 
			 Neath Port Talbot 16,800 15,060 13,950 12,940 
			 Bridgend 12,500 11,640 10,950 10,620 
			 The Vale of Glamorgan 6,500 6,240 6,160 5,910 
			 Cardiff 18,500 18,700 18,390 17,870 
			 Rhondda, Cynon, Taff 25,600 25,750 23,360 22,000 
			 Merthyr Tydfil 8,800 7,480 6,660 6,070 
			 Caerphilly 19,400 17,560 16,640 15,680 
			 Blaenau Gwent 9,800 8,110 7,750 7,250 
			 Torfaen 8,700 7,480 6,870 6,560 
			 Monmouthshire 3,700 3,800 3,750 3,590 
			 Newport 9,400 9,090 8,670 8,340 
			  Notes: 1. Five per cent. figures have been uprated in line with 100 per cent. totals. 2. 100 per cent. caseload figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 3. Five per cent. caseload figures are rounded to the nearest 100. 4. Some additional disclosure control has also been applied. 5. Totals may not sum due to rounding. 6. Incapacity benefits are incapacity benefit and severe disablement allowance.   Source: DWP Information Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study and 5 per cent. sample. 
		
	
	
		
			  Working age claimants of incapacity benefits by Government office region 
			   February 
			   1997  2001  2005  2007 
			 North East 179,500 185,920 177,460 164,300 
			 North West 448,100 446,960 431,120 408,240 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 237,800 247,210 249,020 236,850 
			 East Midlands 160,200 181,870 182,420 178,630 
			 West Midlands 228,800 247,920 249,180 240,030 
			 East of England 153,200 167,190 177,480 176,660 
			 London 270,800 298,190 315,570 310,580 
			 South East 208,200 224,160 238,360 237,260 
			 South West 160,500 182,310 191,950 194,520 
			 Wales 217,900 222,730 210,170 198,950 
			 Scotland 326,400 335,030 322,740 304,080 
			  Notes: 1. Five per cent. figures for 1997 have been uprated in line with 100 per cent. totals. 2. Claimants include credits only cases. 3. Figures refer to working age claimants of IB/SDA.  Source: Department for Work and Pensions, Information Directorate, 5 per cent. sample, 1997. DWP Information Directorate, Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100 per cent. data 2001, 2005, 2007.

Incapacity Benefit: Eastern Region

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in  (a) East of England and  (b) Suffolk had been claiming incapacity benefit for more than five years in each year since 1997.

Anne McGuire: The available information is in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of incapacity benefit/severe disablement allowance claimants with a duration of five years or more 
			  Quarter ending February:  East of England  Suffolk 
			 2001 74,530 9,310 
			 2002 80,240 9,990 
			 2003 85,490 10,550 
			 2004 88,960 10,830 
			 2005 91,550 11,160 
			 2006 93,720 11,230 
			 2007 95,320 11,370 
			  Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Figures for claimants with a duration of claim of five years or over are not available prior to April 2000 as incapacity benefit was not introduced until April 1995.  Source: DWP Information Directorate Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100 per cent. data.

Maintenance: Children

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many absent parents in  (a) Scotland and  (b) Angus constituency are being dealt with by the Child Support Agency under the old rules;
	(2)  how many absent parents in  (a) Scotland and  (b) Angus constituency have been transferred from the old to the new system of assessment by the Child Support Agency in each year since its introduction; and how many of these transfers were triggered by a new case involving the individual;
	(3)  what estimate his Department has made of the number of cases being dealt with by the Child Support Agency in  (a) Scotland and  (b) Angus constituency under the old system will be current when the new organisation's rules are introduced.

James Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive. He will write to the hon. Member.
	 Letter from Stephen Geraghty, dated 29 October 2007:
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
	and
	and
	What estimate his Department has made of the number of cases being dealt with by the Child Support Agency in (a) Scotland and (b) Angus constituency under the old system will be current when the new organisation's rules are introduced.
	At the end of September 2007, the Child Support Agency had 67,900 cases assessed under old rules where the non-resident parent lived in Scotland and in 1,400 of these cases, the non-resident parent lived in the Angus constituency. These figures cover all cases, including those with a positive assessment as well as those currently with a nil maintenance liability. The available information relates to cases only, a non-resident parent may have more than one case.
	The number of cases transferred from the old to the new system of assessment is provided in the attached table. When a new child support application is made, the case may have one or more links, through the parent with care or non-resident parent or their partners, to existing cases. If a link is established to one or more cases on the old computer system, then these cases will be transferred to the new computer system, along with any further cases that are linked to them.
	It is expected the number of old scheme cases will reduce from around 740,000 to around 300,000 before cases move into the new statutory maintenance service expected to start in 2010-11. The reason for this is predominantly the age and nature of these cases. It is also expected that a number of clients will wish to leave the statutory maintenance service and make their own arrangements following the removal of compulsion. Separate estimates have not been made for Scotland or the Angus constituency.
	I hope you find this answer helpful.
	
		
			  Number of converted cases in (a) Scotland and (b) Angus constituency from April 2003 to September 2007 
			   Number of converted cases 
			   Scotland  Angus 
			 April 2003 to March 2004 540 20 
			 April 2004 to March 2005 820 20 
			 April 2005 to March 2006 1,420 30 
			 April 2006 to March 2007 1,890 40 
			 April 2007 to September 2007 680 20 
			  Notes: 1. The latest available data is at September 2007. 2. Volumes are rounded to the nearest 10. 3. A small number of cases are excluded from these figures as the non-resident parent's postcode is not recorded and therefore cannot be allocated to a parliamentary constituency. This accounts for under 0.5 per cent. of cases.

Members: Correspondence

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he expects the Parliamentary Business Unit of the Falkirk Child Support Agency to reply to the hon. Member of Edinburgh, West's letter of 22 August on his constituent Mr. Keith Millar.

James Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is the matter for the Chief Executive. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Duncan Gilchrist, dated 29 October 2007:
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
	You asked the Secretary of State for work and Pensions when he expects the Parliamentary Business Unit of the Falkirk Child Support Agency to reply to the hon. Member of Edinburgh, West's letter of 22 August on his constituent Mr. Keith Millar.
	As details about individual cases are confidential, I have written to you separately about this case.

National Insurance Contributions

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many  (a) women aged 60 and over and  (b) men aged 65 and over will have accrued 30 years or less national insurance contributions before April 2010.

Mike O'Brien: The latest information available indicates that at the end of the financial year 2003-04 there were almost 4.5 million women and around 150,000 men between state pension age and age 80 who had accrued 30 or fewer qualifying years for basic state pension.
	However, individuals with 30 or fewer qualifying years can still qualify for a full basic state pension under the current arrangements.
	Entitlement to a basic state pension depends on a number of factors including the number of qualifying years accrued, home responsibilities protection and the spouse's contribution record.
	 Notes:
	1. Figures refer to people who are estimated to be resident in the UK in 2003-04.
	2. Detailed information is not available for people aged 80 and over due to archiving of records from the National Insurance Recording System.
	 Source: Lifetime Labour Market Database 2, 2003-04

New Deal for Young People: Shepway

Michael Howard: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what percentage of participants in the new deal for young people in the Shepway district were repeat participants in the last year for which figures are available.

Caroline Flint: holding answer 17 October 2007
	New deal for young people has helped 1,060 people into work in the Shepway district since it started in January 1998. In the period March 2006 to February 2007(1) 40 per cent. of those on the programme in the Shepway district were repeat participants.
	(1 )Latest available data.

New Deal Schemes

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what percentage of participants in each of the New Deal programmes returned to benefits within  (a) three months,  (b) six months,  (c) 12 months and  (d) two years of leaving the programme in the latest period for which figures are available.

Caroline Flint: People who have been on the New Deal programme who subsequently return to benefits may be in receipt of out of work or inactive benefits and may not, due to changes in personal circumstances, necessarily return to the benefit they were claiming before they participated in New Deal.
	The available information is in the following table.
	
		
			  Percentage of New Deal leavers who returned to benefits within 3, 6, 12 months and two years of leaving the programme 
			   3 months  6 months  12 months  24 months 
			 New Deal for Young People 9 29 50 66 
			 New Deal 25 plus 8 20 36 56 
			 New Deal for Lone Parents 5 11 19 31 
			 New Deal 50 plus 11 20 32 44 
			 New Deal for Disabled People 7 13 21 31 
			 New Deal for Partners 5 11 20 31 
			  Notes: 1. Latest data are to February 2007, therefore, allowing for a 24 month gap, only New Deal leavers to February 2005 are included in the 24 month column; allowing for a 12 month gap, only New Deal leavers to February 2006 are included in the 12 month column; allowing for a six month gap, only New Deal leavers to August 2006 are included in the six month column and, allowing for a three month gap, only New Deal leavers to November 2006 are included in the three month column. 2. People claiming within three months will also be included as claiming within six, 12, and 24 months. People claiming within six months will also be included as claiming within 12 and 24 months. People claiming within 12 months will also be included as claiming within 24 months. 3. The benefits included are: incapacity benefits; invalid care allowance; income support; jobseeker's allowance; severe disablement allowance, and widows'/bereavement benefits. 4. A benefit claim has only been included if it is a new claim after leaving New Deal. People can leave New Deal and continue a benefit claim; these people are not included as returning to benefit.  Source: Information Directorate, DWP.

New Deal Schemes

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what percentage of participants in each of the New Deal programmes returned to out of work benefits, including those who continued to claim an out of work benefit whilst participating in the New Deal, in each year since 1997.

Caroline Flint: The available information is in the following table.
	
		
			  Percentage of new deal participants who returned to out of work benefits in each year from 1998 
			   New deal for young people  New deal 25 plus  New deal for lone parents  New deal 50 plus  New deal for disabled people  New deal for partners 
			 1998 79 81 76 (1) (1) (1) 
			 1999 83 90 79 (1) (1) (1) 
			 2000 83 90 77 (1) (1) (1) 
			 2001 83 87 78 (1) 85 (1) 
			 2002 81 82 71 (1) 72 (1) 
			 2003 77 81 71 (1) 69 (1) 
			 2004 72 75 69 70 59 35 
			 2005 65 72 63 67 54 34 
			 2006 50 66 57 66 55 28 
			 (1) Not applicable.  Notes: 1. Data refer to the year in which individuals left new deal, which may not be the same year in which they subsequently claimed a benefit. 2. Data include people who were claiming a benefit before participating on new deal who continued to claim during participation and after leaving the programme. 3. Benefits included are: Incapacity benefit, income support and jobseeker's allowance. 4. Information for new deal for disabled people are only available from 2001 and from 2004 for new deal 50 plus and new deal for partners. 5. Latest complete year data are for 2006. 6. Programme start dates are: New deal for young people: January 1998; new deal 25 plus: July 1998; new deal for lone parents: October 1998; new deal for partners: April 1999; new deal 50 plus: April 2000; new deal for disabled people: July 2001.  Source:  Information Directorate, DWP.

New Deal Schemes: Gwent

Don Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many participants in the New Deal in Islwyn have been placed on training courses for  (a) up to one year and  (b) over one year in the last 12 months.

Caroline Flint: The information requested is not available.

Occupational Pensions

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many occupational pension schemes have fully wound up since 1997; how many are in the process of winding up; and what the membership of such schemes was in each year since 1997.

Mike O'Brien: The following information was provided by the pensions regulator.
	(a) The number of schemes in the UK that have wound up for a variety of reasons since 2 April 1997 is 62,814
	(b) The number of schemes that have been winding up since 2 April 1997 is 7,830. The total membership of these schemes is 414,211.
	 Notes:
	1. A wound up scheme is one which has notified the pensions regulator that it has completed winding up procedures.
	2. A winding up scheme is one which has notified the pensions regulator that it has commenced winding up procedures.
	3. The data supplied by the pensions regulator is current as at 3 September 2007. It comes from the merger of data derived from old systems (i.e. before 6 April 2005), and has been enhanced and updated with information received via the new scheme returnswhich was introduced as part of the Pensions Act 2004.
	4. Total membership includes active, deferred and pensioner members. It is not possible to provide a breakdown of these numbers.
	5. Membership data relates to the most recent information provided by the scheme. Membership information is not available for earlier years on a year-by-year basis.

Occupational Pensions

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the proportion of private sector employers who offered a pension to their employees in each year since 1997 for which data are available.

Mike O'Brien: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him on 23 July 2007,  Official Report, column 732W.

Pension Credit

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pension credit applications were not processed within 10 days in each of the last three years.

Mike O'Brien: The information requested is in the following table.
	
		
			  Pension credit applications  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Total claims processed 756,849 427,748 334,501 
			 Not processed within 10 days 123,703 52,665 68,142 
			 Average actual clearance time (days) 10.31 8.79 11.93

Pension Protection Fund

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of pension funds which have collapsed since 1997 are eligible for pensioner compensation under the Pension Protection Fund.

Mike O'Brien: Pension scheme members may be eligible for compensation from the Pension Protection Fund (PPF) if the sponsoring employer of the pension scheme has an insolvency event after 6 April 2005.
	Since 6 April 2005 12 schemes have transferred to the PPF and their pensioner members are receiving payments from the PPF. Other schemes are still being assessed.

Pension Protection Fund: Sickness Benefits

Frank Doran: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what costings were used to assess the feasibility of providing ill health benefits as part of the core benefits provided by the Pension Protection Fund; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: holding answer 16 October 2007
	 The Pension Protection Fund (PPF) is intended to pay compensation based on those benefits generally provided on the winding up of a pension scheme, and so does not incorporate additional benefits beyond basic retirement and survivor's benefits. The Government took a policy decision to focus the PPF compensation on these basic benefits to avoid an excessive burden on the Pension Protection Levy, which is paid by other pension schemes. For that reason, the costs of providing additional benefits such as ill-health early retirement were excluded from consideration at an early stage and were not costed during policy development for the Pensions Act 2004.
	The Department has, however, estimated indicative costs for the PPF introducing early compensation on ill health grounds; these estimates are highly sensitive to the underlying assumptions. If, for example, 5 per cent. of PPF deferred members qualified for ill-health compensation without actuarial reduction, they lived on average until the same age as those retiring in normal health and the average age at which they qualified was 50, the reserves of the PPF in respect of deferred members would have to rise by approximately 2 per cent. The PPF estimate that such an increase would require an increase in the Pension Protection Levy from 675 million by 10 per cent.

Pension Service: Equality

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much the Pension Service spent on equality schemes in each of the last five years.

Mike O'Brien: The available information is in the following table:
	
		
			  The Pension Service staff costs 
			   Amount () 
			 2004 22,102 
			 2005 47,391 
			 2006 52,492 
		
	
	Within the last five years the Pension Service has produced, and reviewed, equality schemes in 2005 and 2006. Staff costs to the Pension Service include work carried out in 2004 to produce the 2005 scheme.
	The publication costs to the Pension Service scheme were incorporated into the overall DWP publication costs for the overarching DWP Equality Scheme.

Pension Service: Finance

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much the Pension Service paid in bank charges in each of the last five years.

Mike O'Brien: The bank charges for the Pension Service for the last two years are as follows.
	
		
			
			 2005-06 1,002,255.48 
			 2006-07 1,144,317.98 
			  Source: Central shared accounting services 
		
	
	Based upon an average customer base of between 11.5 million and 12 million over the period, the average cost per customer is about nine pence per annum.
	Prior to 2005-06 accurate and consistent information on bank charges is not available at agency level.

Pension Service: Hotels

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much the Pension Service spent on hotel accommodation in each of the last five years.

Mike O'Brien: The available information is in the following table:
	
		
			  The Pension Service Hotel Accommodation Expenditure( 1) 
			   
			 2005 1,117,722 
			 2006 1,309,815 
			 (1) The Department's Business Travel section records contracted hotel accommodation expenditure. Information is available only from 2005. A small amount of hotel accommodation is booked locally and the expense accounted by the Department's Resource Management System. The information from the Resource Management System is not available at agency level and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Pension Service: ICT

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much the Pension Service spent on customer relationship management software in each of the last five years.

Mike O'Brien: The amounts spent on the purchase of customer relationship management software and its maintenance by the Pension Service are shown in the following table.
	
		
			   Amount () 
			 2003-04 396,708 
			 2004-05 41,207 
			 2005-06 21,630 
			 2006-07 788,084 
			  Source: Invoices charged to Pensions Transformation Programme Cost Centre. 
		
	
	In June 2006, the Pension Service purchased additional software to support the agency's transformation programme through to 2008 and this is reflected in the 2006-07 costs.

Pension Service: Interpreters

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much the Pension Service spent on interpreters in each of the last 10 years.

Mike O'Brien: Interpreter services are managed centrally by the Department's Commercial Directorate, therefore this information is not available for the Pension Service as costs are not captured at individual agency or business unit level.

Pension Service: Marketing

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much the Pension Service spent on branding in each of the last five years.

Mike O'Brien: The branding of the Pension Service has not changed since the agency was launched in April 2002. The Pension Service has had no expenditure on branding in the last five years.

Pension Service: Sick Leave

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in the Pension Service have been on long-term sick leave in each of the last 10 years.

Mike O'Brien: The first full year for which the Pension Service has staffing data, following its inception in 2002, is for 2003-04.
	
		
			   Average( 1)  monthly number of employees having an absence 28 days( 2)  or more 
			 2003-04 662 
			 2004-05 596 
			 2005-06 344 
			 2006-07 276 
			 (1) The Pension Service records of staff absence cannot state the number of people in each year that had 28 days or more absence as data is not recorded in that way. Data record the number of people in each month that reach 28 days or more. As some people appear in one or more consecutive months, it is not possible to add the monthly figures in order to get a yearly total. Therefore the monthly figure has been averaged for each year (2) DWP defines long-term absence as someone who has been off sick for 28 calendar days or more.  Source:  Internal DWP records based on the Department's payroll system.

Pension Service: Telephone Services

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he has any plans to charge customers for telephoning the Pension Service.

Mike O'Brien: Currently, the Pension Service can be contacted on a range of numbers with the following call charging arrangements 0845, 0800, 0191 or 0113:
	0845 numbers are charged at local call rates and the current guidance by the Committee of Advertising Practice Code applies to the cost of these calls. Current guidance is that calls provided by BT will be charged at up to four pence per minute at all times. A call set up fee of three pence per call applies to calls from residential lines. Mobile and other providers' charges may vary.
	0800 99 1234 Pension Credit Application Line is a free phone number and there is no charge for calls to this number from a BT Landline. Mobile and other providers' charges may vary.
	0191 218 7777 (International Pension Centrefor Overseas Customers). Calls to this number are charged at the standard rate for the territory from which the customer is calling.
	0113 numbers in existence relate to:
	MP Helpline
	Comments on Customer Charter
	Calls made to each of these numbers from within the 0113 area are charged at Local Call Rates; calls made to each of these numbers from outside the area are charged at National Call Rates.
	The Pension Service always offers to call customers back if the customer expresses any concerns about the costs being incurred.
	All Public Service providers are currently assessing the impact of migrating call numbers to the new '03' range. The Pension Service will also review the existing range of telephone numbers and consider simplifying access to our services for our customers. As part of that review, cost implications and the merits of free-phone numbers over local call rates will be considered.

Pension Service: Translation Services

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much the Pension Service spent on translation costs in each of the last 10 years.

Mike O'Brien: Translation services are managed centrally by the Department's Communications Directorate. This information is not available for the Pension Service as costs are not captured at individual agency or business unit level.

Pension Service: Travel

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much the Pension Service spent on foreign travel in each of the last five years.

Mike O'Brien: Costs are not captured at a sufficiently detailed level in the Department's Resource Management System for expenditure by the Pension Service on foreign travel to be separately identifiable.
	The only source for this information is from the Department's Business Travel section, but this is likely to be incompletemissing some hotel accommodation which is booked locallyand is only available since June 2006. The Pension Service spend on foreign travel report from this source is 80,381 between June 2006 and August 2007.

Pensioners: Income

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what data his Department holds on changes in disposable income among pensioners in the last five years, broken down by  (a) age and  (b) region; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: The DWP collects information on pensioners' incomes through the annual Family Resources Survey. Analysis of this information by age and region, both before and after housing costs, is included in the DWP publication series entitled The Pensioners' Incomes Series. Copies of the latest and previous publications can be found in the Library.

Pensioners: Poverty

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what his Department's latest estimate is of the number of pensioners in  (a) the UK,  (b) Wales,  (c) Scotland and  (d) England living below the poverty line; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many and what proportion of pensioners in  (a) the UK,  (b) Wales,  (c) Scotland and  (d) England were living below the poverty line in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: The available information is in the following tables.
	
		
			  Number of pensioners living in households below 60 per cent. of contemporary median income after housing costs 
			   UK/GB( 3)   Wales  Scotland  England 
			 1996-97 2,890,000 1994-95 to 1996-97 140,000 270,000 2,400,000 
			 1997-98 2,900,000 1995-96 to 1997-98 150,000 270,000 2,440,000 
			 1998-99 2,940,000 1996-97 to 1998-99 150,000 260,000 2,490,000 
			 1999-2000 2,840,000 1997-98 to 1999-2000 140,000 240,000 2,460,000 
			 2000-01 2,680,000 1998-99 to 2000-01 130,000 230,000 2,380,000 
			 2001-02 2,660,000 1999-2000 to 2001-02 140,000 230,000 2,300,000 
			 2002-03 2,530,000 2000-01 to 2002-03 130,000 220,000 2,220,000 
			 2003-04 2,180,000 2001-02 to 2003-04 120,000 210,000 2,070,000 
			 2004-05 1,880,000 2002-03 to 2004-05 110,000 190,000 1,850,000 
			 2005-06 1,840,000 2003-04 to 2005-06 110,000 160,000 1,640,000 
		
	
	
		
			  Percentage of pensioners living in households below 60 per cent. of contemporary median income after housing costs 
			   UK/GB( 3)   Wales  Scotland  England 
			 1996-97 29 1994-95 to 1996-97 26 31 28 
			 1997-98 29 1995-96 to 1997-98 27 31 29 
			 1998-99 29 1996-97 to 1998-99 26 29 29 
			 1999-00 28 1997-98 to 1999-2000 26 28 29 
			 2000-01 26 1998-99 to 2000-01 24 27 28 
			 2001-02 26 1999-2000 to 2001-02 24 26 27 
			 2002-03 24 2000-01 to 2002-03 23 25 26 
			 2003-04 21 2001-02 to 2003-04 22 23 24 
			 2004-05 18 2002-03 to 2004-05 20 21 21 
			 2005-06 17 2003-04 to 2005-06 20 18 18 
			 (3) Figures are for the UK from 1998-99 onwards, with estimates for Northern Ireland imputed for the years 1998-99 through 2001-02. Earlier years are for GB only.  Notes: 1. There is no single accepted poverty line. The measure of low income for pensioners we have adopted uses a threshold of 60 per cent of contemporary median income after housing costs. 2. Numbers are rounded to the nearest 10 thousand, and percentages to the nearest percentage point. 3. Numbers for Wales, Scotland and England are presented using a three-year moving average, as single-year estimates do not provide a robust guide to year-on-year changes.  Source: Family Resources Survey 
		
	
	We have made good progress in tackling pensioner poverty. Based on income measured after housing costs the number of pensioners in Great Britain living in relative poverty has fallen by more than one million between 1996-97 and 2005-06.
	We will continue to build on this good progress. A new Public Service Agreement 'Tackle poverty and promote greater independence in later life', published as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review in October 2007 clearly demonstrates that tackling the problems of low income amongst older people remains a key Government priority.

Pensioners: Social Security Benefits

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners have taken up their entitlement under the  (a) pensions credit scheme,  (b) disability allowance and  (c) attendance allowance in the last five years, broken down by (i) age and (ii) region; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: Due to the amount of detail the information has been sent to the hon. Member and a copy will be placed in the Library.

Pensions

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of adults who were not members of any pension scheme in each year since 1997.

Mike O'Brien: The following table below gives a time series breakdown of working age adults who were not members of any active private pension scheme.
	
		
			   Number of working age adults who were not members of any private pension scheme (million) 
			 1999-2000 17.3 
			 2000-01 17.5 
			 2001-02 17.6 
			 2002-03 17.9 
			 2003-04 18.3 
			 2004-05 18.7 
			 2005-06 19.0 
			  Notes: 1. All figures are estimates and are taken from the Family Resources Survey (FRS). 2005-06 is the latest year for which data are available.  2. Results are presented for 1990-2000 onwards. Data in earlier years are not comparable because of the implementation of improvements in government surveys relating to pensions from that date. 3. Private pension refers to either an occupational, personal or stakeholder pension scheme. 4. Working age is ages 20-59 for women and 20-64 for men.  Source: Family Resources Survey, Great Britain, 1999-2000 to 2005-06

Pensions

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many state pension claims took more than 20 days to process in each of the last 10 years.

Mike O'Brien: The requested information is unavailable.
	The standard measure for state pension claims is to clear 95 per cent. of claims in 60 days. The Pension Service computer system therefore measures against this target.
	60 days takes into consideration the fact that customers need to supply a considerable amount of evidence (including marriage and birth certificates) after the initial date of claim. It also takes into account the fact that customers can make an application to state pension up to four months prior to retirement.

Pensions

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to his answer of 30 March 2006,  Official Report, column 1205W, on pensions, what his estimate is of the number of people who have lost their pensions due to the insolvency of the sponsoring employer or where the employer no longer exists; and what progress has been made towards providing a breakdown of this figure by  (a) constituency and  (b) region.

Mike O'Brien: We estimate that, between 1997 and 2005, around 125,000 people lost some part of their pension due to the insolvency of the sponsoring employer or where the employer no longer exists.
	Approximately 117,000 non-pensioner members of these schemes are potentially eligible for assistance from the financial assistance scheme (FAS); these members are in around 690 FAS qualifying schemes.
	Because in most cases the employer no longer exists, the address provided to Financial Assistance Scheme Operational Unit (FASOU) is that of the administrator or receiver which often bears no geographical relevance to where the company was located. Providing an accurate picture of those who have lost their pensions by constituency and region is therefore not possible.
	FASOU only has addresses for members about whom schemes have submitted data. We are not, therefore, able to give a meaningful breakdown by location for all affected members.

Pensions: Carers

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the effect of rules on state pension entitlement on people who stay at home to care for  (a) children and  (b) elderly relatives; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: People who are bringing up children or caring for severely disabled people can protect their state pension through measures such as Home Responsibilities Protection and carer's allowance credits.
	As a result of the provisions in the 2007 Pensions Act, including the treatment of Home Responsibilities Protection and the more generous arrangements for the award of credits to people with caring responsibilities, the proportion of women in Great Britain reaching state pension age with entitlement to a full basic state pension is estimated to rise from around 35 per cent. now to around three-quarters in 2010-11.

Pensions: Financial Assistance Scheme

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made  (a) on an actuarial basis of (i) the average life expectancy of the pensioners who are eligible for payments under the Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS) and (ii) the number of eligible pensioners who will not receive any compensation due to short life expectancy,  (b) of the average amount of funding required to compensate each recipient of payments from the scheme and  (c) of the amount of time that it will take to provide full compensation to all pensioners eligible for the FAS.

Mike O'Brien: The Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS) model uses a rate of 85 per cent. of the UK population mortality rates as projected in the most recent 2006-based national population projections produced by the Office for National Statistics. This assumes that on average eligible male and female members of a FAS qualifying scheme attaining age 65 in 2010 will live for a further 22.6 years and 24.9 years respectively, rising by 2025 to a further 24.2 and 26.4 years respectively.
	Based on these mortality assumptions 7,050 people who are currently eligible for FAS will die before age 65 and therefore not get assistance. The FAS does however provide assistance to surviving spouses or civil partners of deceased qualifying members of qualifying schemes.
	As at 30 September 2007 the numbers of people receiving FAS payments (excluding arrears) within the ranges shown are as follows:
	
		
			  Payment range gross figures (per annum)  Number of members receiving annual payments  Number of members receiving initial payments( 1)  Total  n umber 
			 521 - 1,000 78 575 653 
			 1,001 - 3,000 135 951 1,086 
			 3,001 - 5,000 51 387 438 
			 5,001 - 7,000 17 211 228 
			 7,001 - 9,000 7 96 103 
			 9,001 - 11,000 2 27 29 
			 11,001 - 12,000 1 22 23 
			  291 2,269 2,560 
			 (1) Whose pension schemes have not yet completed wind-up. 
		
	
	We estimate that between 6,500 and 7,500 members have passed the age of 65 since their scheme entered wind up and are now eligible for FAS assistance.
	The youngest scheme members will not be eligible for financial assistance for a number of decades. A member who was 20 years of age when their scheme started to wind-up in 2005 would not qualify for payment of assistance until 2050. Therefore it could take at least 40 years before full assistance starts being paid to all members eligible for FAS.

Pensions: Financial Assistance Scheme

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many members of the Earlys of Witney Pension Scheme had been approached by the Financial Assistance Scheme to offer them compensation before 20 July 2007.

Mike O'Brien: Following the intervention of the right hon. Member for Witney the trustees of the Earlys of Witney Pension Scheme were contacted by the Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS) Operational Unit. Subsequently a DWP official contacted an individual member of the scheme to provide information about the FAS, and issued the standard form to return to the Financial Assistance Scheme Operational Unit. The individual subsequently decided not to pursue a claim for assistance, and I am told this was because he was awaiting an appeal judgment in court.
	The FAS OU has since been contacted by two other members of the scheme.
	The trustees of the Earlys of Witney Pension Scheme have successfully applied for FAS initial payments, and the unit is working with the trustees to encourage them to provide the necessary member data to allow these payments to be made.

Pensions: Telephone Services

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many calls made to the Pension Service in the East of England  (a) met an engaged tone,  (b) were received and  (c) were handled by an adviser in each year since 1997, broken down by call centre; and what area within the East of England is served by each call centre.

Mike O'Brien: Prior to 2002 the Benefits Agency was responsible for the delivery of benefits and services for pensioners. From April 2002, this became the sole responsibility of the Pension Service.
	The Pension Service started reporting telephony management information from August 2003.
	The information has been placed in the Library.
	In 2003-04 the Pension Service customer base was split into regions, the then East of England region was served exclusively by Derby, Leicester, Nottingham, Norwich Baltic and Norwich Kingfisher pension centres.
	Since 2003-04 the Pension Service has reduced the number of pension centres and work is no longer managed in regions. Telephone calls from the East of England region are now handled by Burnley Pension Centre which also takes customers in the North West. It is not, therefore, possible to report East of England calls separately within the data held by the Pension Service.

Post Office Card Account: Overpayments

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much of the money paid into the wrong Post Office card accounts by his Department has been recovered over the last three years.

James Plaskitt: Since the Department's Resource Accounts were published in July, my officials have reviewed the basis on which these numbers were calculated.
	I can now provide updated figures covering the period up to 2006-07. These show that the amount incorrectly paid into Post Office card accounts was 7.3 million and the amount recovered was 2.4 million. (The figures in the Resource Accounts therefore overstated the amount that had been incorrectly paid and understated the amount that had been recovered.)
	To put this into context, the level of incorrect payments represents around 0.01 per cent. of the payments made into Post Office card accounts during the same period.
	During this four-year period the level of incorrect payments has reduced significantly, while the proportion of payments recovered has shown a significant increase. This is partly due to improvements by Post Office Ltd. in its own systems and procedures, which enable us to better identify and recover incorrect payments.

Remembrance Day

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what guidance the Health and Safety Executive has given to local authorities on Remembrance Day events and parades.

Anne McGuire: The Chair of the Health and Safety Commission (HSE's parent body) recently wrote to the Chief Executives of all British local authorities and a number of other organisations, urging them to avoid needless 'health and safety' requirements for planned Remembrance Day events. The letter recognised that the vast majority of authorities are very sensible and sensitive in dealing with such events, but urged that all ensure a consistent approach. I will place a copy of the letter in the House Library.

Remploy: Closures

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the Government's policy is on Remploy factory closures; and if he will make a statement.

Anne McGuire: holding answer 15 October 2007
	Following the review of Remploy last year by PriceWaterhouseCoopers, we asked the Remploy board to bring forward a five-year restructuring plan both to modernise the business and to support substantially larger numbers of disabled people into work, ensuring that there would be no compulsory redundancies of disabled employees, and that their full terms and conditionsincluding rights to final salary pensionswould be protected.
	Remploy announced their initial proposals on 22 May. On 19 August, the Secretary of State appointed Roger Poole to chair the negotiations over the proposals between Remploy and the trade unions. Although substantial progress was made, these talks concluded with a formal failure to agree.
	The Secretary of State has now requested a final report from the Remploy board on the modernisation of the company, no later than 12 November 2007. We recognise that despite substantial progress, significant issues remain unresolved. Nonetheless, these remaining differences can and should be bridged. We continue to believe that a negotiated settlement represents the best outcome for Remploy.
	A decision on the future of Remploy will be made by the Secretary of State once a final report from the board is received. Until then, no Government decision will be made concerning Remploy's factories.

Remploy: Factories

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many factories Remploy  (a) owns and  (b) leases; and what the ownership status is of each factory.

Anne McGuire: Remploy owns 55 factories and leases 26 factories. The company pays a commercial rent for the 26 leased factories. The remaining factories are owned by Remploy on a freehold basis or ground lease. The Department for Work and Pensions holds a debenture on all Remploy owned property and must agree to the sale of any company property, before the debenture on that property can be released.
	The ownership status of each Remploy factory is in the following table.
	
		
			  Factory  Ownership status 
			 Aberdare Ground Lease 
			 Aberdeen Freehold 
			 Aintree Freehold 
			 Barking Ground Lease 
			 Birkenhead Ground Lease 
			 Birmingham Ground Lease 
			 Blackburn Ground Lease 
			 Bolton Freehold 
			 Brixton Freehold 
			 Brynamman Freehold 
			 Burnley Ground Lease 
			 Chesterfield Ground Lease 
			 Cleator Moor Ground Lease 
			 Clydebank Freehold 
			 Coventry Freehold 
			 Cowdenbeath Freehold 
			 Croespenmaen Freehold 
			 Derby Ground Lease 
			 Halifax Freehold 
			 Hartlepool Ground Lease 
			 Hillington Freehold 
			 Huddersfield Ground Lease 
			 Hull Freehold 
			 Leatherhead Freehold 
			 Leicester Ground Lease 
			 Leven Freehold 
			 Lydney Freehold 
			 Manchester Ground Lease 
			 Mansfield Freehold 
			 Medway Ground Lease 
			 Merythr Tydfil Ground Lease 
			 Newcastle Under Lyme Freehold 
			 Newcastle Upon Tyne Freehold 
			 Norwich Freehold 
			 Oldham Ground Lease 
			 Penzance Freehold 
			 Plymouth Ground Lease 
			 Pontefract Freehold 
			 Poole Freehold 
			 Porth Freehold 
			 Portsmouth Ground Lease 
			 Radcliffe Freehold 
			 Redruth Freehold 
			 Southampton Ground Lease 
			 Southend Freehold 
			 Springburn Ground Lease 
			 Stirling Freehold 
			 Stockton Freehold 
			 Swansea factory Freehold 
			 Wigan Freehold 
			 Woolwich Ground Lease 
			 Worksop Freehold 
			 Wrexham Freehold 
			 York Ground Lease 
			 Ystradgynlais Ground Lease 
			 Abertillery Leasehold 
			 Acton Leasehold 
			 Ashington Leasehold 
			 Barnsley Leasehold 
			 Barrow Leasehold 
			 Bradford Leasehold 
			 Bridgend Leasehold 
			 Bristol Leasehold 
			 Dundee Leasehold 
			 Edinburgh Leasehold 
			 Gateshead Leasehold 
			 New Holloway Leasehold 
			 Jarrow Leasehold 
			 Lanarkshire Leasehold 
			 Leeds Leasehold 
			 Neath Leasehold 
			 Newcastle/N Staffs Leasehold 
			 Pinxton Leasehold 
			 Preston Leasehold 
			 Sheffield Leasehold 
			 Southampton 2 Leasehold 
			 Spennymoor Leasehold 
			 St. Helens Leasehold 
			 Stockport Leasehold 
			 Sunderland Leasehold 
			 Treforest Leasehold

Social Fund

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much debt is outstanding to the Social Fund in respect of beneficiaries who no longer receive benefits from which deductions can be made; and what progress is being made in recovery of these outstanding sums.

James Plaskitt: At July 2007, 264.3 million was outstanding in social fund loans to beneficiaries no longer in receipt of benefits from which deductions can be made. This figure is, generally speaking, obviously inversely proportional to success rates in moving customers off benefits and into work
	To ensure that the recovery of theses monies continues once benefit deduction is no longer possible, these cases are in the process of being transferred to the Department's Shared Services Debt Management organisation. This transfer will be completed by the end of March 2008. This will ensure that Debt Management's specialist skills and technology can be used to the best effect to recover these loans.

Social Security Benefits

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what central assumptions his Department makes in drawing up its projections for the purpose of estimating future demand for benefits about current  (a) mean and  (b) median (i) fertility, (ii) average age at marriage and (iii) marriage rates of each gender.

James Plaskitt: The Department's expenditure forecasts and projections currently use 2004-based population projections, including projections of fertility, and 2003-based marital status projections, both published by the Government Actuary's Department. There are no explicit assumptions about the average age of marriage, or the distribution of fertility, in these projections.
	These will be updated to take account of the 2006-based population projections in the next month.

Social Security Benefits: Fraud

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people are employed by his Department solely for the purpose of detecting and investigating fraudulent benefit claims.

James Plaskitt: In April 2006 the National Fraud Investigation Service (FIS) was launched to combat fraud through a more focused, sanction-orientated organisation. In addition, from April 2006 we introduced new customer compliance officers to tackle low-level abuse that cannot be taken through the criminal courts.
	As at April 2007, there were 2,926 people employed by the Fraud Investigation Service. This is made up from 2,314 working in area fraud, 339 in criminal intelligence, 232 in organised fraud and 41 in technical and support roles. The overall aim of the Department's anti-fraud strategy is to have a benefit system which is secure from first claim to final payment. The implementation of this strategy means than an anti-fraud focus is integral to the work of all staff in the Department.

Social Security: Private Sector

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the use of the private and voluntary sectors in welfare delivery.

Caroline Flint: Private and voluntary organisations are often best placed to help our clients, particularly those with a disability or health condition, by providing the specialist services they need. They have the flexibility to develop new and innovative approaches specifically tailored to their clients.
	The private and voluntary sector will continue to have a very important role to play in drawing on the expertise and skills of a wider variety of organisations that can help us to get people off benefit and back into work.

State Retirement Pensions: East Midlands

Dennis Skinner: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in each constituency in the East Midlands received the retirement pension age addition for those aged 80 years or over in the latest period for which figures are available.

Mike O'Brien: The information requested is in the following table:
	
		
			  Parliamentary constituencies  State pension age addition recipients 
			 Amber Valley 4,200 
			 Ashfield 4,400 
			 Bassetlaw 3,500 
			 Blaby 4,000 
			 Bolsover 4,300 
			 Boston and Skegness 5,200 
			 Bosworth 5,000 
			 Broxtowe 4,500 
			 Charnwood 4,600 
			 Chesterfield 4,900 
			 Corby 4,000 
			 Daventry 4,100 
			 Derby North 4,500 
			 Derby South 4,000 
			 Erewash 4,900 
			 Gainsborough 4,400 
			 Gedling 4,600 
			 Grantham and Stamford 4,600 
			 Harborough 4,300 
			 High Peak 4,300 
			 Kettering 4,900 
			 Leicester East 3,000 
			 Leicester South 3,100 
			 Leicester West 2,800 
			 Lincoln 4,100 
			 Loughborough 3,500 
			 Louth and Horncastle 5,500 
			 Mansfield 4,300 
			 Newark 4,900 
			 North East Derbyshire 4,400 
			 North West Leicestershire 4400 
			 Northampton North 4,000 
			 Northampton South 4,700 
			 Nottingham East 3,000 
			 Nottingham North 3,900 
			 Nottingham South 3,300 
			 Rushcliffe 5,700 
			 Rutland and Melton 5,200 
			 Sherwood 4,300 
			 Sleaford and North Hykeham 5,500 
			 South Derbyshire 4,600 
			 South Holland and The Deepings 5,400 
			 Wellingborough 4,700 
			 West Derbyshire 5,600 
			  Notes: 1. Data are taken from the 5 per cent. extract of the Pension Service Computer System as at 30 September 2006, and the figures are subject to a degree of sampling variation. They are also adjusted to be consistent with the overall caseload from the Work and Pension Longitudinal Study. 2. The figures are rounded to the nearest 100. 3. The boundaries of parliamentary constituencies do not correspond exactly to Government Office Regions (GOR). As a result, small areas of some parliamentary constituencies listed in the table lie outside the geographical boundaries of East Midlands GOR.  Source: Department for Work and Pensions, Information Directorate 5 per cent. sample, rated to caseload in Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study

State Retirement Pensions: Overseas Residence

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many International Pension Centre clients are foreign nationals living in their country of birth.

Mike O'Brien: The information requested is not available in the format requested.

Winter Fuel Payments

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many males will lose their eligibility for winter fuel payments on account of the linked rise in the state pension age for women in each year from 2010 to 2020; what the expected minimum age for resultant saving is to public funds; and what minimum age for eligibility for winter fuel payouts to persons of both sexes will be set after state pension age is harmonised.

Mike O'Brien: The minimum age at which both men and women will be able to receive a winter fuel payment will rise incrementally to 65, between 2010 and 2020, as women's state pension age rises to align with state pension age for men.
	No-one will lose eligibility for a winter fuel payment as a result of these changes. Everyone who has become eligible for a winter fuel payment will continue to receive it every winter as a substantial contribution towards the cost of their winter fuel bill.
	Some men will, however, become eligible for a winter fuel payment later than they would have done had women's state pension age not risen. The information in the following table shows the number of males in a given tax year who would have been eligible for a winter fuel payment if the state pension age for women had remained unchanged and the estimated resultant savings.
	Pensions reform as a whole is designed to improve outcomes for pensioners in the futureas a result the amount we spend on pensioners will increase substantially. In 2010 expenditure on pensions is forecast to be 5.1 per cent of gross domestic product. This will increase to 5.2 per cent. by 2020.
	
		
			  Number of males in a given tax year who would have been eligible for a winter fuel payment if the state pension age for women had remained unchanged 
			   Number of males affected in a given tax year  Estimated resultant saving to public funds (2006-07 prices) ( million) 
			 2010-11 60,000 10 
			 2011-12 180,000 30 
			 2012-13 320,000 50 
			 2013-14 460,000 70 
			 2014-15 610,000 90 
			 2015-16 750,000 100 
			 2016-17 900,000 120 
			 2017-18 1,070,000 130 
			 2018-19 1,230,000 150 
			 2019-20 1,410,000 160 
			 2020-21 1,510,000 170 
			  Note: The caseloads in a given year reflect the number of men who would have had eligibility had the qualifying age for winter fuel payment remained unchanged.  Source: Estimates based on DWP forecasts and September 2006 RPWB administrative dataset, five per cent sample.

Winter Fuel Payments

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the average percentage of pensioners' energy bills that was met by the winter fuel allowance in 2006; and what the estimated percentage is for 2007.

Mike O'Brien: The information is in the following table. The winter fuel allowance is intended to assist pensioners in winter to cover additional heating bills. It is not intended to cover the whole cost. Winter fuel payments have increased from 20 in 1997-98 to the current value of 200 for households with someone aged 60 to 79 years of age, and 300 for households with someone aged 80 or over.
	
		
			   2005-06  2006-07 
			 Average expenditure on fuel () 651 690 
			 Average winter fuel payment () 233 234 
			 Percentage of total fuel bill met by winter fuel payment 36 34 
			  Notes: 1. Figures for 2005-06 are based on the outturn; figures for 2006-07 are estimates based on the most recent available data and projections. Estimates for 2007-08 are not included due to the unavailability of fuel price data for the entire year. 2. Average household fuel expenditure is taken from the ONS expenditure and food survey (family spending survey) 2005-06. It is based on households where the primary respondent is aged 65 years or older.  3. Average winter fuel payments have been calculated by dividing expenditure on winter fuel payments by the number of households in receipt of winter fuel payments. 
		
	
	Between 1996-97 and 2005-06 pensioners' incomes increased by 29 per cent. in real terms, compared with a 15 per cent. real terms increase in utility bills between 1996-97 and 2006. It is important to note that while pensioner incomes tend to increase consistently, with two per cent. growth between 2004-05 and 2005-06 building on the growth in earlier years, utility bills tend to fluctuate.

Winter Fuel Payments: Bolsover

Dennis Skinner: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners received the winter fuel allowance in Bolsover constituency in  (a) 2002,  (b) 2003,  (c) 2004,  (d) 2005 and  (e) 2006.

Mike O'Brien: Information relating to winter fuel payments from winter 2001-02 is in the following table.
	
		
			  Bolsover constituency 
			   Payments made 
			 2001-02 18,600 
			 2002-03 18,950 
			 2003-04 19,230 
			 2004-05 19,180 
			 2005-06 19,380 
			 2006-07 19,690 
			  Notes: 1. Figures rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Parliamentary constituencies are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant ONS postcode directory.  Source: Information directorate 100 per cent data.

Winter Fuel Payments: Ribble Valley

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many claims for winter fuel payments were made in Ribble Valley constituency in each year since their introduction.

Mike O'Brien: Information relating to winter fuel payments for the winters of 1997-98 and 1998-99 is not available. The information from winter 1999-2000 is in the following table.
	
		
			  Ribble Valley Constituency 
			   Payments made 
			 1999-2000 17,710 
			 2000-01 19,960 
			 2001-02 20,380 
			 2002-03 20,990 
			 2003-04 21,580 
			 2004-05 21,910 
			 2005-06 22,290 
			 2006-07 22,880 
			  Notes: 1. Figures rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Parliamentary constituencies are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant ONS postcode directory.  Source: Information directorate 100 per cent. data.

Worklessness

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the oral answer of 8 October 2007,  Official Report, column 3, to the right hon. Member for Birkenhead (Mr. Field) on worklessness, how many of the 800,000 people referred to were from EU member states; and if he will break down the number of such workers by nationality.

Caroline Flint: holding answer 15 October 2007
	The following table gives the net change in the number of non-UK, EU nationals in employment in 2007 compared with 1997. The total net increase is 524,000 rounded to the nearest thousand. The totals for the EU as a whole are not equal to the sum of the numbers shown for individual countries because for some EU member states the sample sizes are too small to make an estimate of those in employment at an individual country level.
	This figure compares with a net increase of foreign nationals in employment in this period of 1.1 million. As stated in PQ/07/157946, the 1.1 million figure is derived from the 0.8 million figure being revised to 1.1 million and the addition of 0.05 million foreign nationals in employment in 2007 who were in the United Kingdom in 1997 but not then in employment.
	A note placed in the Library in response to PQ/07/157946 provides a broader context for changes in employment since 1997.
	
		
			   Number in employment 
			  Nationality  1997  2007  net change 
			 Austria 4,000 5,000 1,000 
			 Belgium 3,000 13,000 11,000 
			 Bulgaria (1) 11,000 (1) 
			 Cyprus (1) (1) (1) 
			 Czech Republic 6,000 21,000 16,000 
			 Denmark 7,000 9,000 2,000 
			 Estonia (1) (1) (1) 
			 Finland 2,000 3,000 1,000 
			 France 35,000 77,000 42,000 
			 Germany 30,000 48,000 17,000 
			 Greece 6,000 16,000 11,000 
			 Hungary (1) 14,000 (1) 
			 Ireland 234,000 192,000 - 42,000 
			 Italy 43,000 49,000 6,000 
			 Latvia (1) 8,000 (1) 
			 Lithuania (1) 37,000 (1) 
			 Luxembourg (1) (1) (1) 
			 Malta 5,000 3,000 - 2,000 
			 Netherlands 18,000 25,000 7,000 
			 Poland 6,000 292,000 286,000 
			 Portugal 14,000 50,000 37,000 
			 Romania (1) 14,000 (1) 
			 Slovakia (1) 34,000 (1) 
			 Slovenia (1) (1) (1) 
			 Spain 24,000 36,000 11,000 
			 Sweden 11,000 15,000 4,000 
			 All 453,000 977,000 524,000 
			 (1) Where sample size is too small to report a robust estimate, we are unable to report a net change where the estimate in at least one period is not robust.  Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 1,000. 2. These figures are subject to seasonal variation and fluctuate to some extent from quarter to quarter. 3. As these figures are based on a sample survey they are also subject to sampling variability. 4. It should be noted that the nationality question in the LFS is an undercount because: it excludes those who have not been resident in the UK for six months it excludes students in halls who do not have a UK resident parent it excludes people in most other types of communal establishments (e.g. hotels, boarding houses, hostels, mobile home sites, etc.) it is grossed to population estimates that only include migrants staying for 12 months or more  Source:  Labour Force Survey, Q2 1997, Q2 2007.

Worklessness

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 8 October 2007,  Official Report, column 3, on worklessness, if he will place in the Library the information and sources that account for his statement that 800,000 new jobs have been taken by those who have come from outside Britain.

Caroline Flint: holding answer 15 October 2007
	 The figure of 0.8 million was a calculation of the number of foreign nationals estimated to have arrived in the United Kingdom since 1997 and be in employment (1.4 million) less the number of foreign nationals in employment in 1997 who are no longer in employment (or no longer foreign nationals) (0.6 million). Using a revised methodology we now estimate the net difference to be 1.1 million rather than 0.8 million.
	In addition, there are an estimated 0.05 million foreign nationals in employment in 2007 who were in the United Kingdom in 1997 but not in employment. Adding this figure to the 1.1 million gives a total net increase of foreign nationals in employment of 1.1 million rounded to the nearest 100,000, as set out in the answer to PQ/07/158012.
	A note placed in the Library provides an explanation of both the methodology and the sources used, as well as a broader context for changes in employment since 1997.

INNOVATION, UNIVERSITIES AND SKILLS

Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council: Information Officers

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many press officers are employed by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.

Ian Pearson: The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) employs one full-time press officer and one full-time assistant press officer.

Further Education: Disabled

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what average fees were charged to individuals claiming incapacity benefit, severe disablement allowance or disability living allowance for each course taken by them at further education colleges in each year since 1997.

Bill Rammell: Adult learners on low incomes who are in receipt of income based benefits continue to be entitled to full fee remission for further education, along with those undertaking basic skills courses, first full level 2 qualifications and 19 to 25-year-olds undertaking first full level 3 qualifications. Individuals claiming IB, SDA or DLA falling within these categories are not charged a fee for further education. On the basis of information provided by the LSC, the following table sets out the average fee contribution charged to all adult learners not entitled to free further education provision, whether or not they were claiming IB, SDA or DLA, The figures show the position since 2004. Mark Haysom, the LSC's Chief Executive, will write to the hon. Member with the information for the years between 1997/98 and 2003/04. A copy of his reply will be placed in the House Library.
	
		
			   National fee contribution rate (%)  Average total fee paid for course of 60-89 glh ()  Average total fee paid for course of 120-149 glh ()  Average total fee paid for course of 240-269 glh ()  Average total fee paid for course of 480-509 glh () 
			 2004/05 25 92.34 170.48 236.50 598.45 
			 2005/06 27.5 106.66 196.90 330.90 691.20 
			 2006/07 32.5 130.33 240.61 404.37 844.66 
			 2007/08 37.5 152.81 282.10 474.08 990.28 
			 2008/09 42.5 177.51 327.71 550.72 1,150.38 
			 2009/10 47.5 203.36 375.42 630.90 1,317.86 
			 2010/11 50 219.41 405.05 680.71 1,421.90

Higher Education: Engineering

Rob Marris: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what proportion of full-time undergraduates studying at universities in the UK is enrolled on courses leading to a degree in engineering.

Bill Rammell: The latest available information is given in the table. Figures for the 2006/07 academic year will be available in January 2008.
	
		
			  Number of full-time undergraduate enrolments by subject area UK higher education institutionsacademic year 2005/06 
			  Subject area  Enrolments  Percentage 
			 Engineering and technology 75,905 6.3 
			 All other subject areas 1,122,910 93.7 
			 Total 1,198,815 100.0 
			  Note: Figures are based on a HESA Standard Registration Population and have been rounded to the nearest five. Figures cover all UK and overseas domiciles.  Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).

Higher Education: Fees and Charges

John Grogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what mechanism the Government will use to assess the impact of the introduction of differential fees for higher education degrees.

Bill Rammell: As we made clear during the passage of the legislation introducing the new fee and student support arrangements, there will be a review in 2009 conducted by a Commission which will work on the basis of evidence from the first three years' operation of the variable fee arrangements. The Commission will report to Parliament.

Higher Education: Finance

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how much the Government spent on higher education, broken down by budget heading in each of the last 15 years; and how much is budgeted for 2007-08.

Bill Rammell: The following figures provide a breakdown of Government expenditure on higher education for 10 years between 1998-99 and 2007-08. The figures are taken from the DfES Departmental Annual Report 2007 Table 8.2. We are not able to provide this breakdown before 1998 as the figures were not compiled on a like for like basis.
	
		
			   million 
			   1998-99  1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 Higher education(1) 5,956 6,251 5,852 6,136 6,432 6,956 7,112 8,008 8,709 9,434 
			  Of which:   
			 HEFCE 3,540 4,413 4,273 4,563 4,916 5,325 5,616 6,225 6,543 6,878 
			 Student loans RAB charge(2,)( )(3) 410 604 773 574 458 444 503 575 548 564 
			 Student fee loans RAB charge 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 163 349 
			 Student loans management of provision(4) 0 0 0 277 354 475 225 314 466 509 
			 Student support grants 1,877 1,075 647 551 541 542 614 758 847 918 
			 Access funds and bursaries 39 82 87 88 97 98 78 72 64 56 
			 Student support admin 18 36 30 30 46 51 51 49 58 52 
			 Other miscellaneous programmes 72 41 42 53 20 21 25 15 20 108 
			 (1) HE funding for research councils is excluded from the table. (2) The student loans RAB charge estimates the future cost to government of subsidising and writing off the student loans issued in that year; it does not represent the amount of cash lent to students, which has risen each year since the introduction of student loans. (3) Planned and actual expenditure on Welsh students has been removed from the Student Loans RAB charge and student support grants to reflect the devolution of student support to the National Assembly for Wales (but cannot be excluded from the management of provision line). (4) The student loan management of provision line reflects the standard accounting transactions that are made each year to manage the provision for the outstanding loan stock. This includes loan cost of capital, interest added to the loan stock in year, inflation adjustments, unwinding costs, revaluation and the release from provision .

Higher Education: Finance

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what assessment he has made of the likely effect of withdrawing funding for students to take second degrees on institutions offering part-time courses; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: We took this decision as part of the comprehensive spending review in order to target resources on our top priorities and the country's long-term needs. Our policy not only responds to the challenge in the Leitch report to increase the proportion of the work force with higher level skills from under 30 per cent. now to over 40 per cent. by 2020 but is also fairer to both taxpayers and students who have not yet entered higher education. The overall effect of these changes on the income of individual institutions will depend on how successful they are in attracting students who meet our priorities. Every institution will have an incentive to maximise its share of the 100 million which will be redistributed through this change and no complete assessment of these changes on any institution can be made until that 100 million has been re-distributed.

Higher Education: Student Numbers

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many students are enrolled in universities in England; and what percentage are from overseas.

Bill Rammell: The latest available information is given in the table. Figures for the 2006/07 academic year will be available in January 2008.
	
		
			  Enrolments at English higher education institutions 2005/06 academic year 
			  Domicile  Enrolments  Percentage 
			 UK 1,660,630 85.8 
			 Other EU 84,185 4.3 
			 Non-EU overseas 191,610 9.9 
			 Total 1,936,420 100.0 
			  Note: Figures are based on a HESA Standard Registration Population and have been rounded to the nearest five.  Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).

Natural Environment Research Council: Information Officers

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many press officers are employed by the Natural Environment Research Council.

Ian Pearson: The Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) employs five full-time press officers and one part-time press officer. The part-time and one full-time officer are employed at NERC's administrative headquarters in Swindon, the others at NERC's wholly-owned research centres.

Office of Science and Innovation

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what plans he has to maintain the Office of Science and Innovation.

Ian Pearson: The responsibilities of the former Office of Science and Innovation have been inherited by the Government Office for Science and the Science and Innovation Group, both of which form part of the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills.

Overseas Students

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many overseas students studied in the UK in 2006; what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the effect of those students on the UK economy; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: The latest available figures from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) on the number of overseas students studying in the UK are for the academic year 2005/06. These showed that there were just over 330,000 international students studying at higher education institutions in the UK. About a third of these came from countries within the European Union, and the other two thirds came from other countries.
	The Secretary of State has not had any meetings with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on this issue. However, a recent report by the British Council and Education UK estimated that the total value to the UK economy of all international students in the HE sector was over 5.6 billion in 2003/04.

Pirbright Laboratory: Disease Control

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills 
	(1)  whether he had been informed that the drainage system at the Pirbright laboratory site posed a risk to biosecurity prior to the foot and mouth outbreak; whether he received any representations on the risk to biosecurity of the drainage system and effluent pipes at Pirbright; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what representations he received from  (a) the Institute for Animal Health,  (b) Merial,  (c) the Biotechnology and Biological Research Council,  (d) the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and  (e) other sources on biosecurity at the Pirbright laboratory facility prior to the recent foot and mouth disease outbreak;
	(3)  what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the Pirbright laboratory facility;
	(4)  what his responsibilities are in relation to the Pirbright laboratory facility; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: Prior to the foot and mouth outbreak this summer, I was not informed of any risk to biosecurity posed by the drainage system at Pirbright and I did not receive any representations from the Institute for Animal Health, Merial, the Biotechnology and Biological Research Council or the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. I met with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs about the Pirbright facility shortly before his announcement on 7 September.
	The Pirbright laboratory is part of the independent Institute for Animal Health (IAH), a company limited by guarantee with charitable status. The trustees/non-executive directors of IAH have a range of relevant expertise. IAH is regulated directly by DEFRA and the Health and Safety Executive. IAH is sponsored, as are six other research institutes, by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) a non-departmental public body whose parent Department is the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS).

Prince's Trust: Apprentices

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what discussions he has had with representatives of the Prince's Trust on the roll out of the Trust's Get Into work-based scheme to provide apprenticeships in the construction, retail and hospitality sectors for the lowest academically achieving school leavers; and what discussions he has held with his counterparts in the devolved Administrations in respect of the Get Into scheme.

Bill Rammell: The Prince's Trust is meeting the Learning and Skills Council national office on 30 October to discuss the Get Into scheme and how it relates to public funded work-based training schemes. I would be happy to receive a representation from the Prince's Trust if they wish to write to me.

Renewable Energy: Seas and Oceans

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what steps he is taking to improve the UK's international competitiveness in technologies for mechanical and thermal renewable energy from the sea.

Ian Pearson: The Government recognise the potential for marine energy and has put in place a number of measures that support the research and development of marine renewable energy technologies.
	These include commitments of over 35 million since 1999 towards innovative, industry-led development of marine renewable energy technologies (of which over 13 million was committed under the Technology Strategy Board's Technology Programme, launched in 2004) and a further 50 million under the BERR 'Marine Renewables Deployment Fund' that will support the first larger-scale multi-device demonstration projects.
	Additionally, Research Councils have committed over 5.4 million since the year 2000 on research and related training specifically relevant to the area of wave and tidal power.
	Other initiatives supported include the 15 million European Marine Energy Centre in Orkney and the 28 million South West Regional Development Agency's 'Wave Hub' project that will provide the infrastructure for the first pre-commercial wave farms.
	We are also currently considering banding the renewables obligation, Government's main mechanism for incentivising the supply of renewable energy, to provide further market-based support for these emerging technologies.
	Collectively, these make up the most comprehensive package of measures to support the development of marine energy technologies anywhere in the world.

Students: Finance

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills 
	(1)  what discussions he had with  (a) universities,  (b) student organisations and  (c) employers before issuing his instruction to the Higher Education Funding Council for England not to fund universities for undergraduates who already have a first degree in another subject;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the likely effect on the income of  (a) Birkbeck College and  (b) the Open University of his recent instruction to the Higher Education Funding Council for England not to fund universities for undergraduates who already have a first degree in another subject.

Bill Rammell: holding answer 15 October 2007
	 We took this decision as part of the comprehensive spending review in order to target resources on our top priorities and the country's long-term needs. While the policy has been set, we have asked HEFCE to consult widely on how it should be implemented. Our policy not only responds to the challenge in the Leitch report to increase the proportion of the work force with graduate level skills from under 30 per cent. now to over 40 per cent. by 2020 but is also fairer to both taxpayers and students who have not yet entered higher education. The overall effect of these changes on the income of individual institutions will depend on how successful they are in attracting students who meet our priorities. Every institution will have an incentive to maximise its share of the 100 million which will be redistributed through this change.

Sustainable Development

David Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills pursuant to the answer of 12 July,  Official Report, column 1622W, on sustainable development, how many and what proportion of further education college capital projects in  (a) 2005-06,  (b) 2006-07 and  (c) 2007-08 received the additional cost allowance of 10 per cent. for sustainability aspects; and what proportion of the building costs this amounted to in each case.

Bill Rammell: holding answer 15 October 2007
	The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) announced the additional 10 per cent. cost allowance for elements within buildings that address sustainability issues in October 2006and as stated in the answer of 12 July,  Official Report, column 1622Wwould come into effect fully from September 2007. As such, data are only available in part for 2006-07 and only up to the present for 2007-08.
	However, in order to qualify for LSC capital funds, all capital project proposals now need to address sustainable development. Therefore the majority of projects qualify for the 10 per cent. costs uplift. Since October 2006 the LSC has given detailed approval to projects costing 371 million and currently estimates that at least 30 million of these costs apply to sustainability related items.
	Exact figures on the number and proportion of further education college capital projects which have received the additional cost allowance and what proportion of the building costs this amounted to in each case are held by the LSC. I have therefore asked Mark Haysom, the LSC Chief Executive to write to my hon. Friend with the information requested and place a copy of his reply in the House Library.

Teachers: Training

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many initial teacher training places were available for physical education teachers in each of the last three years; and how many will be available in each of the next three years.

Jim Knight: holding answer 23 October 2007
	I have been asked to reply.
	The following tables show the number of mainstream Initial Teacher Training (ITT) places which were available for physical education for academic years 2005/06,2006/07 and 2007/08; and the number of trainees recruited to physical education courses separately through mainstream and Employment Based Routes (EBR) ITT in 2005/06 and 2006/07.
	
		
			  Mainstream ITT targets for places in physical education and recruitment figures against these targets 
			  Academic year  Target for Physical Education mainstream ITT places  Recruitment to mainstream ITT for Physical Education 
			 2005/06 1,450 1,530 
			 2006/07(2) 1,310 1,410 
			 2007/08(3) 1,180  
			 (1) Includes SCITT but excludes employment-based routes. (2) Recruitment figures for 2006/07 are provisional and are subject to change. (3) Recruitment figures for 2007/08 are not currently available  Note: Recruitment figures are rounded to the nearest 10  Source: Available placesDCSF RecruitmentTDA's ITT Trainee Number Census 
		
	
	
		
			  Recruitment to employment based routes ITT 
			  Academic year  Recruitment to Initial Teacher Training for Physical Education through Employment Based Routes 
			 2005/06 430 
			 2006/07(1) 380 
			 (1) Recruitment in 2006/07 is for the autumn term only and is provisional. Recruitment figures for 2007/08 are not currently available.  Notes: 1. Recruitment numbers shown are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. These figures relate to the actual number of trainees who were recruited to physical education courses through Employment Based Routes, rather than a target for the number of places.  Source: TDA's Employment Based Routes Database 
		
	
	Information relating to the number of places available for physical education ITT courses for the next three years is not currently available.

Teachers: Training

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what the average  (a) training and  (b) student support cost was to train (i) a science teacher, (ii) a maths teacher and (iii) another teacher in their year of teacher training in the most recent period for which figures are available; and from which budgets the funding was drawn.

Jim Knight: I have been asked to reply.
	The Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) does not collect or hold information on how much it costs a university or other initial teacher training (ITT) provider to train a teacher. While the TDA allocates and pays funding to ITT providers, it is a matter for them to determine how they deploy that funding and other income received by them for the provision of teacher training.
	The following table shows the unit of funding allocated and paid by the TDA in the academic year 2007/08 for a one year mathematics, one year science and, by the way of comparison, a one year geography postgraduate ITT course. This is the national rate and rates for London based ITT will be higher (5 per cent. higher for outer London and 8 per cent. higher for inner London).
	
		
			   
			  Subject  Unit of funding  Bursary 
			 Science 5,630 9,000 
			 Maths 5,060 9,000 
			 Other secondary 4,900 6,000 
		
	
	The TDA also pays a number of additional recruitment premiums to encourage providers to recruit extra maths and science, especially physics and chemistry, trainees. All of this funding comes from the grant that this Department gives to the TDA for this purpose. In addition to the funding paid by the TDA, providers can also charge up to 3,070 (dependent on their access agreement) in tuition fees from individual trainees.
	The average cost of providing maintenance and fee support to English domiciled postgraduate ITT students in the academic year 2006/07 was provisionally 3,670 for full timers and 1,630 for part-timers(1). This is found from the support budgets of the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills, The subject studied for ITT does not affect the support given.
	(1 )Support is provided in the form of grants and loans. The cost of loans is calculated using the resource accounting budget (RAB) charge of 21 per cent. for maintenance loans and 33 per cent. for fee loans. This excludes supplementary grants and allowances, e.g. for students with disabilities, students with dependants, those incurring certain travel costs and those who have recently left care. Part-time students receive the pro-rated equivalent of full-time support. The part-time figure will include those who started in 2005/06 as well as those who entered under more generous arrangements in 2006/07.

Training: Loans

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many people took out career developments loans in  (a) 2004-05,  (b) 2005-06 and  (c) 2006-07; how many of these were taking (i) level 2 and (ii) level 3 qualifications; how many were taking qualifications higher than level 3; what the average size was of the loan; for what period of study it was granted; and what the total sum (A) budgeted and (B) disbursed was in each year.

Bill Rammell: Career Development Loans (CDLs) are a successful programme administered by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) to help individuals finance vocational learning of their choice. Loan capital is provided by three high street banks.
	We do not hold all the information requested. Details of level of qualifications and period of study are not recorded centrally. However, a CDL can be used to fund up to a maximum of two years study plus up to one year of practical experience. We also estimate that 25 per cent. of loans in any one year are taken out to support HE courses, primarily postgraduate courses.
	Available details of loans in each of the three years are set out in the table as follows.
	
		
			   2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Number of loans 15,273 17,841 13,502 
			 Total loan value ( million)(1) 69.01 85,9 71.5 
			 Average loan value () 4,518 4,815 5,296 
			 Budget ( million)(2) 17.5 20,1 19.1 
			 Actual expenditure ( million)(3) 16.0 19.6 22.5 
			 (1 )Total loan value = loan capital lent by participating banks. (2 )Budget = public funds disbursed through DIUS (formerly DfES) and LSC. (3 )Actual expenditure = public funds expended.

Vocational Training

Don Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what percentage of people in full-time work in the UK have participated in an educational or skills programme in the last five years.

Bill Rammell: The information requested is not available for the time period specified. However from the latest quarter of the Labour Force Survey (quarter two 2007) we know that 27.3 per cent. of UK full-time workers had received some form of education or work related training during the preceding three months.
	We also know, from the latest national employer skills survey (2005), that employers in England had provided training over the previous year to just over 13.1 million workers (this is all workers, full and part-time) which was equivalent to three fifths of the total workforce at the time (61 per cent). They also reported that 2.5 million staff were being trained towards a national recognised qualification.

Young People: Employment

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many school leavers in  (a) Jarrow constituency,  (b) South Tyneside,  (c) the North East and  (d) England were (i) employed and (ii) unemployed for (A) less and (B) more than six months after the completion of their GCSEs in each year since 1997.

Bill Rammell: The Department's information on school leavers is collected through the annual activity survey undertaken by Connexions Services and Careers Service Companies and cannot be analysed in the exact format requested.
	However, we can give an indication of the number and proportion of year 11 leavers taken at 1 November in the year that they leave school and this is in the tables attached. Information cannot be broken down by parliamentary constituency, and figures for Jarrow are not available. Information is available at local authority level after 2001. Data from 1997-2000 is only available by Careers Company area and the figures for these years show Tyneside as a whole.
	
		
			1997  1998  1999  2000 
			  Area  Activity on 1 November in the year of leaving school  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage 
			 England Total number of leavers 561,307  555,269  563,877  570,279  
			  Employment 64,119 11.4 66,403 12,0 67,221 11.9 68,920 12.1 
			  Unemployed - active in the labour market 30,167 5.4 31,172 5.6 30,541 5.4 28,335 5.0 
			  Unemployed - not active in the labour market 6,254 1.1 7,000 1.3 7,970 1.4 7,225 1.3 
			 North East Total number of Leavers 32,896  32,065  32,750  32,468  
			  Employment 2,960 9.0 3,139 9.8 3,127 9.5 2,916 9.0 
			  Unemployed - active in the labour market 2,762 8.6 2,650 8.3 2,791 8.5 2,325 7.2 
			  Unemployed - not active in the labour market 522 1.6 898 2.8 884 2.7 436 1.3 
			 Tyneside(1) Total number of leavers 9,732  9,467  9,669  9,737  
			  Employment 754 7.7 821 8.7 847 8.8 841 8.6 
			  Unemployed - active in the labour market 1,002 10.6 919 9.7 1,100 11.4 930 9.6 
			  Unemployed - not active in the labour market 103 1,1 80 0.8 91 0.9 71 0.7 
			  Note:  Data include both North and South Tyneside 
		
	
	
		
			2001  2002  2003 
			  Area  Activity on 1 November in the year of leaving school  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage 
			 England Total number of Leavers 582,886  592,329  608,771  
			  Employment 69,852 12.0 66,437 11.2 68,211 11.2 
			  Unemployed - active in the labour market 29,343 5,0 34,347 5,9 40,104 6.9 
			  Unemployed - not active in the labour market 6,905 1.2 4,973 0.9 4,539 0.8 
			 North East Total number of Leavers 33,636  33,927  34,371  
			  Employment 3,028 9.0 2,893 8.5 2,937 8.5 
			  Unemployed - active in the labour market 2,345 7,0 2,808 8.3 3,422 10.2 
			  Unemployed - not active in the labour market 568 1.7 437 1.3 304 0.9 
			 South Tyneside Total number of Leavers 2,099  2,246  2,187  
			  Employment 248 11.8 172 7.7 187 8.6 
			  Unemployed - active in the labour market 189 9.0 196 9.3 220 10.5 
			  Unemployed - not active in the labour market 21 1.0 21 1.0 24 1.1 
		
	
	
		
			2004  2005  2006 
			Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage 
			 England Total number of Leavers 625,998  618,273  630,558  
			  Employment 69,578 11.1 59,417 9.6 54,932 8.7 
			  Unemployed - active in the labour market 36,282 6.2 36,522 6.3 34,568 5.9 
			  Unemployed - not active in the labour market 4,491 0.8 4,443 0.8 4,235 0.7 
			 North East Total number of Leavers 34,830  32,971  33,498  
			  Employment 3,048 88 2,654 8.0 2,639 7.9 
			  Unemployed - active in the labour market 2,790 8.3 2J86 8.3 2,487 7.4 
			  Unemployed - not active in the labour market 329 1.0 329 1.0 309 0.9 
			 South Tyneside Total number of Leavers 2,141  2,025  2,060  
			  Employment 178 8.3 210 10.4 190 9.2 
			  Unemployed - active in the labour market 160 7.6 161 7.7 131 6.2 
			  Unemployed - not active in the labour market 34 1.6 13 0.6 20 1.0

JUSTICE

Approved Premises: Reoffenders

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 17 October 2007,  Official Report, column 1153W, on approved premises: re-offenders, on what basis the effectiveness of approved premises (bail or probation hostels) is measured.

David Hanson: The effectiveness of approved premises is measured in a number of ways.
	An annual audit is conducted in every approved premises against a set of national performance improvement standards. The audit is scored using prescribed criteria, and approved premises managers are required to produce action plans in relation to any area of work where there is scope for further improvement. The second round of performance improvement audits has recently been completed, and the scores are currently being validated by the NOMS Performance Improvement Unit.
	Additionally, each approved premises is required to submit to the NOMS Public Protection Unit a monthly return (known as the H1) containing performance data and relevant management information. The H1 returns capture data about occupancy levels, departures, drug testing and the profile of the resident group.
	HM Inspectorate of Probation is presently undertaking a thematic inspection of approved premises. The field work will be completed by the end of 2007, with the final report to be published during the early part of 2008.

Burglary: Self-defence

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent representations he has received on the ability of people to defend their property with reasonable force against burglary; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: Since 9 May 2007, my Department has received 18 pieces of correspondence on the subject of self-defence. 13 of those were received in October. Of these, four specifically mentioned property. There were four pieces of correspondence on other topics, which mentioned self-defence.

Compensation: Industrial Diseases

Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will bring forward legislative proposals to provide compensation to people who have experienced asbestos-related diseases, including pleural plaque, and their families.

Bridget Prentice: It is already possible for people suffering from a range of asbestos-related diseases to claim compensation under the common law of negligence where they have suffered damage. In its judgment of 17 October in the case of Rothwell  v. Chemical  Insulating Co. Ltd. the House of Lords held that pleural plaques do not constitute actionable or compensatable damage. The House of Lords considered the issues very thoroughly on the basis of all the evidence put before them and reached a unanimous decision. Having considered the judgment very carefully, the Government have decided that it would not be appropriate to legislate on the issue.

Contact Orders

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many contact orders were made in each year since 1997; in how many of these cases contact was taking place  (a) one,  (b) two and  (c) three or more years after the contact order was made; and if he will make a statement.

Bridget Prentice: The number of contact orders made in both public and private law in each year from 2000 is in the following table. Figures for 2006 will be published in the Judicial Statistics report, planned for release in late November. Data for earlier years are not available. It is not possible to identify from court records what contact takes place after a final order has been made and the court does not routinely review contact orders after the proceedings have ended.
	Provisions in the Children and Adoption Act 2006 enable the court when making a family assistance order to require the CAFCASS officer or a Welsh family proceedings officer, appointed to work with the family, to report on such matters in relation to any contact order in force as the court may direct. These provisions, which also extend the maximum duration of a family assistance order to 12 months, were implemented on 1 October 2007.
	Other provisions in the Children and Adoption Act 2006, when enacted, will enable the court to require a CAFCASS officer or a Welsh family proceedings officer to monitor contact for a period of up to 12 months in appropriate cases.
	The Ministry of Justice has carried out research Making Contact Happen or Making Contact work: The process and outcomes of in-court conciliation. The report was published in March 2006 and can be found at http://www.dca.gov.uk/research/2006/03_2006.pdf The aim of the research was to identify the overall effectiveness of in-court conciliation in contact cases as well as the relative success of the three contrasting models of conciliation.
	Between six and nine months after a contact order was made, a fifth of agreements had not worked at all, most agreements were intact or had been extended, most cases were closed with low relitigation rates, many more children were having increased contact and more parents were satisfied with the quality and quantity of contact.
	
		
			  Number of contact orders made 
			   Public law  Private law 
			 2000 2,155 46,070 
			 2001 2,325 55,030 
			 2002 3,483 61,356 
			 2003 2,825 67,184 
			 2004 2,406 70,169 
			 2005 1,950 60,294

Departments: Correspondence

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what guidance his Department follows on the maximum time taken to respond to hon. Members' correspondence; and what performance against that target was in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Bridget Prentice: My Department has issued guidance to all staff about how to draft answers to letters from hon. Members. The guidance also provides for a target to reply of 20 working days from receipt. From 1 January to 30 September my Department replied to 90 per cent. of letters from hon. Members within target.
	A copy of the guidance will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Departments: Cost Effectiveness

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will place in the Library a breakdown of his Department's efficiency savings in relation to its Spending Review 2004 (SR04) targets, including  (a) the efficiency projects in the Department,  (b) the date on which they were initiated and  (c) how much each was predicted to contribute to the SR04 target.

Maria Eagle: The breakdown of the former DCA's SR04 efficiency targets and specific projects can be found in the Departmental Annual Report 2006-07. The Ministry of Justice Autumn Performance Report to be published in December 2007 will have the latest performance update against these targets including those relating to ex-Home Office areas (National Offender Management Service and Office for Criminal Justice Reform).
	Full detail on the specific initiatives can be found in the DCA Efficiency Technical Note published in December 2005, a copy of which is available in the Libraries of the House.

Departments: Internet

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many websites his Department currently operates; how many it operated at 1 January 2005; and what the estimated annual cost has been of running his Department's websites in the last five years.

Maria Eagle: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the right hon. Member for Maidenhead (Mrs. May) on 14 May 2007,  Official Report, columns 539-40W. With the addition of the new Ministry of Justice website, www.justice.com this Department operates a total of 59 sites.
	At 1 January 2005 the former Department for Constitutional Affairs operated 33 websites.
	The approximate annual cost of running the websites of the former Department for Constitutional Affairs for the last five years is as follows:
	
		
			   Amount () 
			 2002-03 1,037,066 
			 2003-04 (1)1,440,777 
			 2004-05 2,067,202 
			 2005-06 2,477,497 
			 2006-07 2,802,491 
			 (1) Figure for 2003-04 not held centrally, and cannot be provided without incurring disproportionate cost: estimate based on increase in costs and in the number of websites between 2002-03 and 2004-05.

Departments: Legislation

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether he has assessed the necessity of bringing forward amendments to Schedule 1 of the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007 to delete references to the Department for Constitutional Affairs and include references to the Ministry of Justice.

Maria Eagle: We are aware of the need to make a small number of changes to Schedule 1 of the 2007 Act to reflect changes in the machinery of Government that have taken place after that part of the legislation was settled in Parliament. These include the deletion of the reference to the Department for Constitutional Affairs and inclusion of a reference to the Ministry of Justice. We are planning to bring forward secondary legislation under the 2007 Act to make the necessary changes before the planned commencement of the majority of the Act next April.

Departments: Manpower

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people were employed by his Department and its predecessor on 1 January in each of the last five years; and how many of these staff were  (a) permanent employees,  (b) temporary staff and  (c) contractors.

Maria Eagle: The Ministry of Justice was created on 9 May 2007, bringing together the Department for Constitutional Affairs, the National Offender Management Service, the Prison and Probation Services, and the Office for Criminal Justice Reform. The figures in the following table reflects the position prior to this machinery of government change and provides data for the Ministry of Justice's constituent organisations at the nearest dates available to those requested. However the NOMS, HMPS and OCJR figures are included as part of the response to the same question from the Home Office.
	The breakdown of permanent and temporary/casual employees has been published as part of the First Release since Quarter 1 (March) 2007. This is the key official source of work force numbers for the civil service and provides a breakdown of permanent and temporary/casual employees by Department. The number of permanent and fixed term appointments in each year that records are available is set out in the following table.
	My Department has a national contract with Kelly Services Ltd. for the provision of agency staff. Information regarding the average number of staff employed through this agency appears in the following table. Information relating to workers employed through other employment agencies is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Information related to agencies of DCA is also included in the following table showing the average number of staff employed through employment agencies by each of the DCA's agencies. HM Land Registry does not hold such information centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Statistics on the number of contractors employed by Departments are not published.
	The civil service statistics represent those employees paid directly from the Department's payroll. Any contractors employed via agencies and so not paid directly by the Department are not included.
	
		
			   Department and public body  Total permanent staff (headcount)  Total fixed term staff (headcount)  Total agency workers (headcount)  Total staff (civil service and agency) 
			 1 April 2003 (FTA figure) (DCA) LCD/Court Service 12,230 470 283 12,983 
			  Public Guardianship Office 310 0 100 410 
			 1 April 2003 to 31 March 2004 (Agency figure) HM Land Registry 8,940 110 n/a 9,050 
			  National Archives 530 30 199 759 
			   
			 1 April 2004 (FTA figure) (DCA) Court Service/Wales Office 12,460 500 395 13,355 
			  Public Guardianship Office 290 0 80 370 
			 1 April 2004 to 31 March 2005 (Agency figure) HM Land Registry 8,680 40 n/a 8,720 
			  National Archives 530 40 121 691 
			   
			 1 April 2005 (FTA figure) (DCA)/HM Court Service/Wales office/Scotland Office (including Office of the Advocate-General) 13,260 570 722 14,552 
			  Public Guardianship Office 350 0 74 424 
			 1 April 2005 to 31 March 2006 (Agency figure) HM Land Registry 8,580 30 n/a 8,610 
			  National Archives 560 50 167 777 
			   
			 As at 30 September 2006 (Agency figure) DCA (excluding agencies)/HMCS Court Service/Tribunals/Wales Office/Scotland Office 27,300 660 n/a 27,960 
			  Public Guardianship Office 340 10 n/a 350 
			  HM Land Registry 8,270 30 n/a 8,300 
			  National Archives 560 30 n/a 590 
			 1 March 2007 (FTA figure) DCA (excluding agencies)/HMCS Court Service/Tribunals/Wales Office/Scotland Office/HM Land Registry/National Archives/Public Guardianship Office 36,090 800 360 37,250 
			 1 April 2006 to 31 March 2007 (Agency figure)  
			 n/a = Not available.  Note: Figures excludes data for NOMS, OCJR and HM Prison Servicethese are included in the Home Office response for the same question.

Departments: Official Hospitality

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much was spent by his Department, and its predecessor, on official hospitality in the last 12 months.

Maria Eagle: The amount of hospitality expenditure incurred by the former Department for Constitutional Affairs, which covers costs for Her Majesty's Courts Service, Tribunals Service, Public Guardianship Office and DCA Headquarters, for 2006-07 was 46,002. These figures are from the published Resource Accounts for 2006-07.
	Home Office have confirmed that they have also given resource accounts figures for the last financial year, which includes ex-Home Office areas now within MoJ.
	All hospitality expenditure incurred by the Department is made in accordance with published departmental guidance on financial procedures and propriety, which is based on the principles set out in Government Accounting and the Treasury handbook on Regularity and Propriety.

Departments: Written Questions

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many and what percentage of questions tabled to his Department for answer on a named day to his Department and its predecessor received a substantive reply on the day named in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Bridget Prentice: 436 named day questions were tabled to my Department between 15 November 2006 and 25 October 2007. 338 questions received a substantive reply on the day named giving a percentage of 77.52 per cent.

Family Courts

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when the Government expects to publish its response to Confidence and Confidentiality: Openness in family courts.

Bridget Prentice: Our recent consultation about improving the openness of family courts closed on 1 October 2007. We received over 100 responses and are now considering them carefully. This is a complex and difficult area, and we will publish our response once we have had an opportunity to reflect fully on what people have said.

Foster Care

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the number of fostering orders which are likely to be made in each year following the enactment of the Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill.

David Hanson: We have not made an estimate of the number of young people who may be subject to the fostering requirement following the enactment of the Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill.
	The Youth Justice Board are currently piloting 'Intensive Fostering' in three areas. There is funding available for thirteen places across the three pilot sites. So far thirty six young people have been on the programme. We are working closely with the Youth Justice Board to monitor the progress of these pilots and they are being evaluated by York university. The evaluation report is due in 2008 and this will help to inform future roll out of the programme.
	Indicative results show that intensive fostering is benefiting the young people who are subject to the programme. However, in practice, because of the intensive nature of the fostering, both for the young person and the family, very few young people will be assessed as being suitable for the programme.

Human Trafficking

Lorely Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what plans the Government have to extend the provision of supported housing for victims of human trafficking.

Maria Eagle: The Ministry of Justice funds the Poppy project to provide adult women trafficked into sexual exploitation with secure accommodation, one-to-one intensive crisis support, outreach support and a resettlement service. This year an additional 100,000 was invested to top-up the 2.4 million grant, to increase the capacity of the project during the national enforcement campaign Pentameter 2.
	Victims who claim asylum are eligible for asylum support and may benefit from the Poppy project outreach service. Additionally some victims are accommodated though other local voluntary and community sector organisations or where eligible through local authorities.
	The United Kingdom is signatory to the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings, which sets out minimum obligations in relation to the protection and support of all identified victims of trafficking. The Government are committed to implementing these measures which will enhance existing support arrangements.

Licensing Act 1964

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people were  (a) prosecuted and  (b) convicted under (i) section 172, (ii) section 172a and (iii) section 173 of the Licensing Act 1964 in each year since 1997; and how many landlords have had their licences revoked due to breach of these provisions.

Maria Eagle: The number of people proceeded against at magistrates court and found guilty at all courts under (i) section 172, (ii) section 172a and (iii) section 173 of the Licensing Act 1964 can be found in the following table.
	Court proceedings data for 2006 will be available in late November 2007.
	The Licensing Act 2003 repealed the Licensing (Occasional Permissions) Act 1983 Act when it came into effect on 24 November 2005.
	Statistical bulletins published by the Department of Culture, Media and Sports (DCMS) on licences to sell alcohol include the number of licences revoked, but do not indicate why.
	More information can be found on the DCMS website.
	
		
			  Number of people proceeded against at magistrates court and found guilty at all courts for offences under the Licensing Act 1964 sections 172, 172A, and 173, in England and Wales for the years 1997 to 2005( 1, 2, 3, 4,) 
			   Statute  Offence description  Statute  Offence description  Statute  Offence description 
			   Licensing (Occasional Permissions) Act 1983 Schedule (Sec 3) para 6. Licensing Act 1964 Sec 172  Holder of permission not to allow drunkenness etc. Permitting drunkenness or riotous conduct on the premises or selling liquor to a drunken person  Licensing Act 1964 Sec 172A as added by Criminal Justice  Police Act 2001 S.32  Relevant person working in licensed premises to permit drunkenness or violent behaviour etc  Licensing (Occasional Permissions) Act 1983 Schedule (Sec 3) para 7. Licensing Act 1964 Sec 173  Procuring drink for drunken person. Person in licensed premises procuring intoxicating liquor for a drunken person or aiding a drunken person to obtain drink 
			   Proceeded against  Found guilty  Proceeded against  Found guilty  Proceeded against  Found guilty 
			 1997 9 4 0 0 3 2 
			 1998 22 11 0 0 5 3 
			 1999 13 10 0 0 2 1 
			 2000 10 2 0 0 0 0 
			 2001 10 5 0 0 0 0 
			 2002 7 4 1 0 1 0 
			 2003 8 6 0 0 1 0 
			 2004 13 6 0 0 0 0 
			 2005 10 4 0 0 1 1 
			 (1) These data are on the principal offence basis. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) The Licensing Act 2003 repealed the Licensing (Occasional Permissions) Act 1983 Act when it came into effect. (4) Staffordshire Police Force were only able to submit sample data for persons proceeded against and convicted in the magistrates courts for the year 2000. Although sufficient to estimate higher orders of data, these data are not robust enough at a detailed level and have been excluded from the table.  Source:  Court proceedings database held by RDSOCJR, Ministry of Justice

Pentonville Prison

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice for what reasons HM prison Pentonville has become a Level 1 prison establishment; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: Pentonville is a large Victorian prison on a site that has suffered from under investment over many years. A recent prisoner survey highlighted substantial challenges that remain.
	The prisoner survey, daily population and operational pressures, mean that Pentonville is failing to provide a decent regime for its prisoners. Therefore, Pentonville is assessed as operating at only Level 1 standard rating.

Polling Stations

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice who is responsible for determining  (a) the number and  (b) location of polling stations for local government elections; and if he will make a statement.

Bridget Prentice: It is for the local authority to designate the location of polling places within a parliamentary polling district. Polling places are the premises in which polling stations can be provided by returning officers. Within this framework, a returning officer will determine the number of polling stations needed for a parliamentary or local election.

Pre-trial Proceedings

Don Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the average time was between a person charged with an offence being brought to court in  (a) England,  (b) Wales and  (c) Gwent in the last 12 months.

Maria Eagle: For magistrates court criminal cases completed in 2006, the average time taken from the date of charge to the date of first listing in the magistrates courts was as follows:
	
		
			   Days 
			  (a) England 9 
			  (b) Wales 8 
			  (c) Gwent 12 
		
	
	The figures are from the Ministry of Justice's Time Intervals Survey (TIS).
	The following table provides further information on the average time taken between all stages of proceedings for defendants in completed criminal cases in magistrates courts where the proceedings were initiated by charge. Proceedings initiated by a summons are not included in any of the figures provided.
	
		
			  Average time taken between stages of proceedings for defendants in completed criminal cases in magistrates courts where the proceedings were initiated by charge. Data are for 2006 and are presented for Gwent, Wales, England, and England and Wales 
			  Charged cases only 
			   Offence to charge  Charge to first listing in magistrates court  First listing to completion of case in magistrates court  Offence to completion in magistrates court  
			   Average number of days  Margin of error (+/-days)  Average number of days  Margin of error (+/-days)  Average number of days  Margin of error (+/-days)  Average number of days  Margin of error (+/-days)  Sample size (number of defendants) 
			 Gwent 32 6 12 1 57 7 100 9 394 
			 Wales 41 4 8 0 43 3 92 5 2,445 
			 England 40 1 9 0 52 1 100 1 42,408 
			 England and Wales 40 1 9 0 51 1 100 1 44,853 
			  Notes: 1. The Time Intervals Survey (TIS) is a sample survey that produces estimates of the average time taken between stages of proceedings for defendants in completed criminal cases in magistrates courts. 2. Results are based on proceedings in one sample week in March, June, September and December for all charged cases (adults and youth/PYO defendants). Defendants who were summonsed to magistrates courts are not included in this analysis. 3. The margin of error is a measure of the precision of a result based on a sample survey. Timeliness in magistrates courts is measured using data from a sample of the total number of defendants. The sample provides one estimate of the average time taken and different samples would produce different average times. The true value is likely to fall within the range of the sample result +/- the margin of error. 4. Both adult and youth defendants included in the one week sample survey are included. 5. First listing refers to the first listed hearing of the case in the magistrates court. 6. More detailed results and notes from the Time Intervals Survey are published in a National Statistics Bulletin at http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/timeintervals.htm  Source: Time Intervals Survey, Ministry of Justice.

Prison Service: Restraint Techniques

Rudi Vis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many staff were  (a) disciplined and  (b) dismissed for using restraint as a punishment against a juvenile in custody in the latest period for which figures are available.

David Hanson: According to centrally held records in the public sector Prison Service, there are no cases where staff have been disciplined or dismissed for using restraint as a punishment on a juvenile in custody. Information on staff at secure training centres and secure children's homes is not collected centrally and it would not be possible to collect it without requesting a detailed search of staff records.

Prisoner Escapes: Foreigners

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners who escaped or absconded from prison were foreign nationals in each of the last 10 years; and how many of these absconded from open prisons.

David Hanson: To provide this information would involve checking manually individual records which could not be done without incurring disproportionate cost.

Prisoners

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of  (a) the likely prison population in each year until 2012 and  (b) the number of places needed to accommodate it in each year.

David Hanson: The latest prison population projections were published on the 31 August 2007 covering the period to June 2014. They offer three estimates of low, medium and high demand assumptions for 2012 ranging from 87,200 to 96,400.

Prisoners

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people are detained in prison; and how many of them were born outside the UK.

David Hanson: It is not possible to answer the question by giving the numbers of prisoners born outside the United Kingdom. However, at the end of June 2007 there were 11,097 foreign national prisoners in all prison establishments in England and Wales, which is the last date for which foreign national prison numbers are available. The total prison population was 79,734 at that date.
	These figures are available from the MoJ website:
	www.justice.gov.uk
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Prisoners

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many time-served foreign nationals are being held in  (a) detention centres and  (b) prisons;
	(2)  how many  (a) British and  (b) foreign national prisoners were detained in custody beyond the end of their sentence for (i) up to one week, (ii) up to one month, (iii) up to six months, (iv) up to a year and (v) more than a year in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.

David Hanson: The available information has been provided by the Border and Immigration Agency.
	Lin Homer, the chief executive of the Border and Immigration Agency wrote to the Home Affairs Committee on 19 February setting out the position of foreign national prisoners in prisons and the immigration detention estate, as follows:
	The Home Secretary previously explained to the Committee that since April 2006 we have had to detain an increased number of foreign national prisoners beyond the expiry of their sentences where we are pursuing deportation action against them. The information we have shows that approximately 1,300 time-served foreign nationals are currently in both the IND Removals Estate and in prisons whilst we pursue deportation action against them.
	She will continue to update the Home Affairs Committee.

Prisoners

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many foreign nationals are held on indeterminate sentences for public protection.

David Hanson: At the end of June 2007 there were 240 foreign national prisoners held on indeterminate sentences for public protection in all prison establishments in England and Wales.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Prisoners: HIV and Hepatitis B and C Infection

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the  (a) number and  (b) percentage of prisoners infected with (i) HIV, (ii) hepatitis B and (iii) hepatitis C in the latest period for which figures are available.

David Hanson: The last major study of HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C prevalence in prisoners in England and Wales found that of 3,942 prisoners surveyed in 1997 and 1998, 0.4 per cent. were infected with HIV, 8 per cent. with hepatitis B and 7 per cent. with hepatitis C.
	 Source:
	Prevalence of HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C antibodies in prisoners in England and Wales: a national survey.
	Weild A.R., Gill O.N., Bennett D., Livingstone S.J.M., Parry J.V., Curran L. (2000). Communicable Disease and Public Health 2000;3:121-6.

Prisoners: Per Capita Costs

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the average cost per week was of keeping a prisoner in  (a) HMP Armley Prison and  (b) all prisons in England and Wales in the latest period for which figures are available.

David Hanson: Costs for individual prisons are published in the annual report and accounts for HM Prison Service (HMPS). For 2005-06 the cost per prisoner week at HMP Leeds (Armley) is 422; the average for prisons in the same category (male local) is 480 and for all HMPS prisons 518. The figures published in the HMPS accounts are based on direct resource expenditure and do not include all costs related to prisons such as private prisons, property costs, IT and prisoner escort services. Including these gives an overall average cost per prisoner week of 698.
	For 2006-07 the cost per prisoner week at HMP Leeds is 449; the average for prisons in the same category (male local) is 485 and for all HMPS prisons 513. An overall average for 2006-07 is not yet available.

Prisons: Drugs

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the  (a) number and  (b) percentage of prisoners who used intravenous drugs during their imprisonment in the latest period for which figures are available.

David Hanson: The covert nature of injecting behaviour in prison makes it hard to measure but research suggests that around 2 per cent. of those using drugs in prison do so intravenously compared with the pre-prison rate of 35 per cent.

Prisons: Governing Bodies

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what guidance is provided to prison governors on governor grades and excessive work hours; if he will place a copy of this guidance in the Library; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: The Prison Service's policy on Work-Life Balance is set out in Prison Service Order 8010, Equal Opportunities. It recognises that traditional working patterns do not suit all staff and many have to balance their time at work against other priorities. The policy applies to all staff regardless of their status, rank or working location and can allow flexibility in working arrangements to suit an individual's needs. I have placed a copy in the Library.

Prisons: Telephone Services

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what charges were made by each prison to inmates to use payphones in each of the last 10 years.

David Hanson: The information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. To provide a complete answer requires access to detail which is not easily available and requires lengthy consultations with contractors who provide both the public and private sector prisoner telephone networks.

Sexual Offences

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many cases have been brought under sections  (a) 47,  (b) 48,  (c) 49 and  (d) 50 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 since 2004.

Maria Eagle: Information on cases brought is not held by my Department. The number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates court for offences under sections  (a) 47,  (b) 48,  (c) 49 and  (d) 50 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 in England and Wales for the years 2004 and 2005 can be found in the following table.
	The Sexual Offences Act 2003 came into force on 1 May 2004.
	Court proceedings data for 2006 will be available in late November 2007.
	
		
			  N umber of defendants proceeded against at magistrates court for offences under Sections 47, 48, 49, and 50 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 for the years 2004 to 2005 in England and Wales( 1, 2, 3) 
			   Proceeded 
			  Statute  2004  2005 
			 Sexual Offences Act Section 47 3 3 
			 Sexual Offences Act Section 48 2 7 
			 Sexual Offences Act Section 49 0 2 
			 Sexual Offences Act Section 50 0 1 
			 Total 5 13 
			 (1) These data are on the principal offence basis. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3 )The Sexual Offences Act 2003 came into force on 1 May 2004.  Source:  Court proceedings database held by RDS - OCJR, Ministry of Justice

Solicitors Regulation Authority

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what criteria are used to determine which cases the Solicitors Regulation Authority investigates further.

Bridget Prentice: The Solicitors Regulation Authority has provided me with the following response.
	The principal criterion the SRA uses to determine whether further investigation is required is whether there is sufficient evidence that there has been a breach of the solicitors code of conduct with adverse impact on the consumer of legal services.
	In May 2007, following a public consultation, the SRA published propositions for regulatory decision making. The aim of the propositions is to ensure that:
	the quality of the SRA's decision-making is maintained and improved
	decision-making complies with the Government's principle of good regulation
	decisions are made within a clear and consistent framework
	the process and its outcomes commands the confidence of the public, profession and other regulators
	These are now being implemented.

Solicitors Regulation Authority: Complaints

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the complaint procedure is for a solicitor's firm against the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

Bridget Prentice: The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has provided me with the following information.
	Solicitors who are not satisfied with the handling of their matter can complain to the team manager of the unit that dealt with their matter. The next stage, if still unsatisfied, would be for the solicitor to write to the quality consultant located in the SRA for a review of the matter. The final route would be to ask the Legal Services ombudsman who is independent of the SRA to review the case.

Solicitors Regulation Authority: Ethnic Groups

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many ethnic minority caseworkers are employed by the Solicitors Regulation Authority; and if he will make a statement.

Bridget Prentice: The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has provided me with the following information.
	There are 251 caseworkers with a responsibility for regulatory investigation The ethnic origin of those caseworkers is as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 White 200 
			 Black and Minority Ethnic 37 
			 Unknown 14

Solicitors Regulation Authority: Training

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what training Solicitors Regulation Authority caseworkers receive; what the length is of that training; and whether Solicitors Regulation Authority caseworkers receive training on interacting with local communities.

Bridget Prentice: The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has provided me with the following information.
	SRA staff, including caseworkers, are required to attend training, which includes issues of equality including cultural diversity. The nature of this training varies depending on the duties of the staff.
	The SRA continues to review its training to ensure that it is updated and meets the learning needs of the organisation. Additional equality training has been provided for those caseworkers dealing with discrimination and service complaints.

Tribunals: Immigration

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many lay judges are available to sit on immigration tribunals at each of the 19 hearing centres in the UK.

Bridget Prentice: The Asylum and Immigration Tribunal (AIT) does not make use of lay judges in its jurisdiction. The tribunal currently employs 53 non-legal members, who were previously entitled 'Lay Members', to sit in appeals across the hearing centres in the UK.
	The majority of AIT hearings are conducted by a single immigration judge. A non-legal member will sit only as part of a panel.

Tribunals: Immigration

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether he plans to appoint more lay judges to immigration tribunals in Scotland.

Bridget Prentice: There are currently no plans to appoint additional non-legal members (formerly lay members) to the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal (AIT).
	The Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007 establishes the principles for the use of non-legal members in appeal hearings in the future.
	The overriding principle will be that the use of non-legal members on a particular hearing should bring skills, experience or knowledge that tribunal judges cannot provide, and this will also be a key criterion for future appointments to the tribunal.

Tribunals: Immigration

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many lay judges were appointed to sit on immigration cases in Scotland in each of the last five rounds of appointments.

Bridget Prentice: Appointments are not made specifically to tribunals in Scotlandappointments are made to the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal (AIT). The numbers of non-legal members made to the AIT (or lay members of the former Immigration Appeals Tribunal) for the last five years are as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 2002-03 0 
			 2003-04 32 
			 2004-05 0 
			 2005-06 0 
			 2006-07 0 
		
	
	Under the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007 the general rules on composition of tribunals for hearings will be laid down by an order or orders made by the Lord Chancellor, with the concurrence of the Senior President and subject to parliamentary approval.

Young Offenders

Rudi Vis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many children were detained in custody after their earliest release date due to a lack of other accommodation in the latest period for which figures are available.

David Hanson: The data requested are not collected centrally and could not be obtained without disproportionate cost as it would be necessary to analyse the early release records of all under-18 custodial establishments manually.

Young Offenders

Rudi Vis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will assess whether any children were refused early release because the Youth Justice Board failed to keep its guidance and forms up to date in the last two years.

David Hanson: The Youth Justice Board (YJB) believes all establishments follow the most up to date rules and has no evidence to suggest that young people have been denied early release because of out of date guidance or forms.
	Revised guidance setting out new criteria for the electronically monitored early release of young people serving a detention and training order was circulated to the governors of young offenders' institutes, directors of secure children's homes and directors of secure training centres in May 2002. A slightly amended version of this guidance (which did not change the criteria) was circulated in May 2003.

Young Offenders: Nutrition

Rudi Vis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what discussions the Chief Executive of the Youth Justice Board has held with the School Food Trust on the application of new nutritional standards to children in custody.

David Hanson: The Chief Executive of the Youth Justice Board (YJB) welcomes the opportunity to meet with the School Food Trust and a meeting is planned shortly.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Afghanistan: Drugs

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many personnel are involved in poppy crop eradication and diversification in Helmand Province; and what their targets are for 2007.

Kim Howells: Poppy eradication in Helmand Province is performed by Afghans in the Poppy Eradication Force (PEF) and in the Governor Led Eradication (GLE) forces. There are approximately 615 personnel in the PEF. Governor Wafa has not confirmed how many personnel he will commit to the GLE force this year.
	UK personnel do not conduct eradication, but do provide support to the planning and targeting work. Implementation of eradication is the responsibility of the Afghan Government. No eradication targets have been set for Helmand for 2008.
	The Government's main involvement in livelihoods diversification in Helmand is through the Department for International Development (DFID)funded Helmand Agriculture and Rural Development Programme (HARDP). This is a three-year programme designed to increase the economic opportunities for rural poor people in Helmand, including those that make a living from growing poppy. Activities include construction of rural roads, wells and latrines; provision of legal credit; support for small-scale community development projects; and agricultural support. The overall target for the programme is to deliver improved livelihood opportunities for 590,000 people by the end of the third year.
	HARDP is managed by the four-person DFID Livelihoods team based in Kabul. Additional programme support is provided by the three-person DFID Helmand team which is split between Kabul and Lashkar Gah. However, actual implementation is carried out by the Ministry for Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD), and by a number of non-governmental organisations working under the auspices of MRRD and the Ministry for Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock.
	Additional livelihoods diversification activities are provided through the Government's programme of Quick Impact Projects, which is managed by two staff members based in Lashkar Gah.

Afghanistan: Drugs

John MacDougall: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government are taking to end the illegal drugs trade in Afghanistan; and if he will make a statement.

Kim Howells: As Afghanistan's G8 partner nation on counter narcotics, the UK is helping the Afghan Government to improve the implementation of their National Drug Control Strategy, spending 290 million over three years on counter narcotics measures.
	In August, my right and noble Friend the Minister for Africa, Asia and the UN, Lord Malloch-Brown, announced the UK's new package of activities, aimed at tackling the drugs trade in Afghanistan. This includes:
	enhanced interdiction, to disrupt the operations of influential traffickers and weaken their links to the insurgency. We will be allocating an additional 22.5 million for the Afghan interdiction forces;
	greater focus on military support to counter narcotics. We will be working with the International Security Assistance Force to do more to maximise military support for counter narcotics operations within the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation rules of engagement;
	more support for counter narcotics criminal justice. The UK announced an extra 2 million at the Rome Rule of Law Conference in June;
	better eradication. Afghan eradication forces need to improve. We will be working with the United States to assist them;
	expanding the Good Performers Initiative to provide an incentive for governors to reduce cultivation in their provinces. We will be putting in 3.3 million; and
	an extensive Afghan Government information campaign designed to convince farmers not to plant poppy. This is currently under way.

Belarus: Rights

John MacDougall: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of  (a) the human rights situation and  (b) democratic reform in Belarus; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: The Government continue to be concerned about the lack of respect for human rights in Belarusin particular, the intimidation of civil society activists, detention of political prisoners and the situation of minority groups. Trade unions also face major difficultiesan International Labour Organisation Commission of Inquiry concluded that many of the basic civil liberties of trade union members and leaders in Belarus have been seriously infringed. The European Commission, fully supported by member states, conducted its own investigation which confirmed these findings leading to the temporary suspension of the Generalised System of Preferences from Belarus in June this year. We also take 'every opportunity to express our continuing concerns about Belarus' human rights record with the Belarusian authorities and within the UN Human Rights Council and the UN's Third Committee, Human Rights.
	It is encouraging that the recent opposition rally on 14 October was allowed to take place and that the security services had exercised restraint, but that the march was preceded by a wave of arrests and confiscation of property and materials on spurious grounds is of concern.
	The UK and EU are committed to supporting democratisation and demonstrating to the people of Belarus the benefits of closer co-operation. The UK and EU have stated that they are willing to deepen the relationship with Belarus, but the Belarusian authorities must clearly demonstrate their respect for democratic values, fundamental rights and the rule of law.
	The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has funded projects over the past two years in a number of key human rights areas, principally through the Global Opportunities Fund Reuniting Europe programme and the Devolved Programme Budget. Projects have focussed on local grassroots democracy building and youth participation in democracy activities. Funding has also been provided to expand the knowledge and understanding of human rights law, and provide assistance to local non-governmental organisations and independent media. We will, in co-operation with our partners in the EU and US, continue to help develop civil society and will look for every opportunity to improve contacts at official levels.

Bolivia: Politics and Government

Colin Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the recent attempts by right wing separatists and business leaders in the Santa Cruz province of Bolivia to disrupt international air transport flying from Viru-Viru Airport.

Kim Howells: We are aware of recent developments surrounding Viru-Viru airport, including reports of violence. This is a matter for the Bolivian authorities, though we hope that such disputes can be resolved amicably and peacefully.

Burma: Aung San Suu Kyi

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent diplomatic steps he has taken on the imprisonment of Aung San Suu Kyi.

Meg Munn: My right hon. Friends the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary and senior officials have repeatedly called for the Burmese regime to release all political prisoners and remaining political detainees without condition, including Aung San Suu Kyi.
	Working with our partners on the UN Security Council and in the EU, we helped ensure that both the UN Security Council Presidential Statement issued on 11 October and the European Council conclusions on 18 October called for the regime to begin a dialogue with Aung San Suu Kyi.
	We are encouraged that UN Special Envoy Professor Ibrahim Gambari was able to meet Aung San Suu Kyi on 30 September and that since then Aung San Suu Kyi has been allowed to leave her residence and meet with Burmese Government officials. Professor Gambari returns to Rangoon shortly and we hope we shall soon see the start of a genuine process of national reconciliation in which Aung San Suu Kyi plays a full part.

Burma: Detainees

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what steps he has taken to encourage the  (a) protection and  (b) release of protestors imprisoned following recent events in Burma;
	(2)  what recent steps he has taken to encourage the Burmese Government to improve their observance of human rights.

Meg Munn: My right hon. Friends the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary and I have repeatedly called for the Burmese regime to release all political prisoners and remaining political detainees without condition and to respect the human rights of Burmese citizens. Our ambassador in Rangoon travelled to the new capital, Pyinmana, on 25 September and 23 October to emphasise these messages.
	We have pushed the regime to allow the entry of United Nations Special rapporteur on Human Rights, Professor Sergio Pinheiro, to the country to make his own assessment of the human rights situation in the country, including the welfare of political prisoners. We worked with EU partners to ensure that the special session of the Human Rights Council adopted a resolution on Burma on 2 October, including a call on the regime to admit Professor Pinheiro.
	We note that the regime announced on 23 October that Professor Pinheiro would be allowed to enter Burma to begin this work.

Burma: Human Rights

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what steps the Government have taken to strengthen mechanisms for the reporting of human rights violations in Burma;
	(2)  what recent assessment the Government have made of the human rights situation in Burma.

Meg Munn: Human rights is at the heart of our Burma policy. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary made a written ministerial statement on 8 October 2007,  Official Report, columns 12-15WS, on the situation in Burma. He issued a further statement on 11 October in response to the presidential statement, unanimously adopted by the UN Security Council on 11 October, which the UK co-sponsored. This was the first formal action ever taken by the Security Council on Burma and called upon the Government of Burma to release all political prisoners and take all other measures to address human rights issues.
	A compilation of the information we have on the recent human rights violations in Burma has been placed on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website. It was updated on 15 October.
	The belated decision of the Burmese Government on 23 October to agree to a visit by the UN Secretary-General's special rapporteur for human rights in Burma, Professor Sergio Pinheiro is a positive step. We hope Professor Pinheiro will be able to visit soon and call upon the Burmese regime to co-operate fully with him so that he is able to fulfil the mandate of the Human Rights Council Resolution passed on 2 October. The resolution, sponsored by the EU, with the strong support of the UK, expressed deep concern about the situation in Burma. In our statement to the Human Rights Council, we drew attention to the regime's violations, including restrictions on the freedom of speech and association, and the suffering of Burma's ethnic communities. We have voiced our concern about the lack of co-operation the Burmese Government has given to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and call on the regime to grant urgent access to the ICRC so that they can resume their much needed activities in supporting human rights on the ground.
	On 15 October, the EU General Affairs and External Relations Council called for a thorough and impartial investigation of the deaths of demonstrators, imprisonment of protesters and other continuing violations of human rights. In response to the Burmese Government's failure to exercise restraint in their treatment of the demonstrators, the Council of the EU agreed to implement stronger restrictive measures against the regime. The strengthened measures include a ban on the import of metals, minerals, timber and semi-precious stones and a ban on investment in these sectors. These measures are designed to target the interests of the Generals, rather than harm the people of Burma.
	Earlier this year, a memorandum of understanding was agreed between the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the Burmese Government which allows civilians to report on forced labour cases to the ILO representative in Rangoon. We hope the ILO will be able to continue working without interference by the regime.
	We consistently raise human rights with the Burmese regime and we have pushed for strong resolutions on Burma at the Human Rights Council and UN General Assembly, Third Committee. Our ambassador in Rangoon has also highlighted our concerns in his meetings with the Burmese Government on an ongoing basis, most recently on 24 October.

Burma: Politics and Government

John MacDougall: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the political situation in Burma; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Munn: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary's statement of 11 October made it clear that we strongly deplore the use of violence against peaceful demonstrators and the wave of arrests that have followed. There has been an unprecedented degree of international condemnation.
	Only a genuine process of national reconciliation, involving Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, all concerned parties and ethnic groups, will allow Burma to move towards greater stability and prosperity. The UN is working hard to achieve this and we are giving the fullest possible backing to their efforts.
	We are encouraged that Aung San Suu Kyi has been allowed to leave her residence and met with Burmese Government officials. We hope this contact continues and produces a genuine dialogue.

Cyprus: Internally Displaced Persons

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Cypriot authorities on  (a) restoring dispossessed Turkish Cypriots to their former homes and  (b) paying them compensation following rejection by the Republic of Cyprus of the UN plan for a settlement; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: The issue of property in Cyprus is complex, with many Cypriots from both communities unable to return to their homes. Ultimately, we believe that this difficult issue is only likely to be fully resolved in the context of a comprehensive settlement. In this context, we continue to urge both sides to engage constructively with the UN to enable settlement negotiations to start as soon as possible.

Cyprus: Religious Freedom, Cultural Heritage

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the condition of  (a) mosques,  (b) Muslim shrines and  (c) Muslim cemeteries in the Republic of Cyprus; and if he will make it his policy to request the Cypriot authorities to protect such sites from damage;
	(2)  if he will make it his policy to support the efforts of the Turkish Cypriot Government to protect and restore the architectural heritage of Northern Cyprus, including Christian monuments.

Jim Murphy: Pending reunification, preserving the cultural heritage of Cyprus, including Muslim sites in the south and Christian sites in the north, remains an issue of great importance. Our high commission in Nicosia maintains dialogue with both Greek and Turkish Cypriots on this issue. We welcome all efforts aimed at protecting and restoring religious heritage in Cyprus on both sides of the Green Line. The UN led process envisaged by the 8 July Agreement would provide a framework in which the issue of preserving cultural heritage could be discussed and addressed by the two communities.

Democracy

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government are taking to promote the principles of democracy in countries governed by dictators, military forces or single party structures.

Kim Howells: The UK is committed to promoting democratic principles and values around the world. Our approach is grounded in our support for upholding universal human rights standards to which all countries are bound. Countries currently governed by dictators, military forces and by a single party structure usually have a poor record of non-compliance with human rights norms, denying rights such as freedom of expression, assembly, association, movement or information, on which democracy is built. We and our European partners regularly raise human rights concerns directly with these Governments and in international bodies.
	In this context, we welcome the decision of the Burmese Government to agree to a visit by the special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Burma, Paulo Sergio Pinheiro. We hope he will be able to visit soon to fulfil the mandate of the special session of the UN Human Rights Council on 2 October.
	We also actively promote human rights and the development of the foundations of democratic societies through project assistance, including through the Government's support for the Westminster Foundation for Democracy. Details of their work can be found on their website: www.wfd.org. We also support development of civil society. For example, the Government have given 500,000 over three years for grass-roots support to civil society organisations in Burma; and a programme of 3 million has been established to help build the foundations for democracy in local level political decision-making bodies in that country.
	Further information on the Government's work on human rights, democracy and governance can be found in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office 2006 Annual Report on Human Rights. Copies of the report are available in the Libraries of both Houses.

Departments: Accountancy

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what departmental budget items have been reclassified, under Consolidated Budgeting Guidance, following Comprehensive Spending Review 2007 decisions; and what the  (a) former and  (b) new (i) classification and (ii) sum budgeted is in each case.

Meg Munn: The only amount reclassified by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office following the Comprehensive Spending Review 2007 is 300,000,000 for UK staff overseas engaged in front-line diplomacy. Formally classified as administration budget, but now classified as programme 'other current' expenditure.

Departments: Assets

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what departmental assets are planned to be sold in each financial year from 2007-08 to 2010-11; what the  (a) description and  (b) book value of each such asset is; and what the expected revenue from each such sale is.

Meg Munn: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, like other Government Departments, has been set a challenging asset recycling target as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR). Our target, restated in the CSR, over the next three financial years is 54 million, or 18 million each financial year, and will be reflected in our Asset Management Strategy to be published in December.
	In order to maximise the price achieved for the sale of our assets, it is not our policy to provide details of our sales programme nor the price we expect to receive in advance of formal marketing.

Departments: Cost-effectiveness

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will place in the Library a breakdown of the Department's efficiency savings in relation to its Spending Review 2004 (SR04) targets, including  (a) the efficiency projects in the Department,  (b) the date on which they were initiated and  (c) how much each was predicted to contribute to the SR04 target.

Meg Munn: As part of the 2004 Spending Review (SR04) the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) agreed a target to achieve 2.5 per cent. year-on-year efficiency savings from its core expenditures. This equates to 120 million by the end of financial year (FY) 2007-08; 33 million of which will be delivered by the British Council and the BBC World Service.
	Efficiency gains in FY 2005-06 were 53.9 million against a planned outturn of 50.9 million. The efficiency gains in FY 2006-07 were 87.8 million against a planned outturn of 88.0 million. By the end of September 2007, efficiency gains are estimated to have risen to 122.4 million with a FY 2007-08 forecast of 132.5 million against a planned outturn of 120 million. The FCO is on course to deliver all targets for the SR04 Efficiency Programme.
	The following table gives the present forecast savings from each of the FCO's SR04 efficiency projects. These figures may differ from the targets set for each project at the time they were set up. The original targets are revised as the projects and hence savings have developed.
	
		
			  Specific project target, date initiated and contribution toward SR04 
			  Project  Date initiated  Contribution to SR04 Efficiency Programme( 1)  ( million) 
			 Lyons Review 2004 1.3 
			 Assets Recycling 2004 7.2 
			 Other Estates Efficiencies 2005 0.1 
			 Prism 2004 2.7 
			 UK Staff Pay-bill Reduction 2004 14.0 
			 Ancillary Pay Bill Savings 2004 10.5 
			 Overtime Reduction 2004 1.3 
			 Local staff pay bill savings 2004 4.8 
			 Strategic Sourcing and Demand Management 2004(2) 23.4 
			 Procurement at Post 2004(2) 3.2 
			 Spending Review 02 Efficiencies 2002 10.5 
			 Strategy Units Savings 2004 0.5 
			 Finance Directorate Savings 2004 0.3 
			 Human Resources Directorate Savings 2004 1.9 
			 Extra Wider Market Turnover 2004 5.6 
			 Better Project Management 2004 2.6 
			 Reduction in Contractor Costs 2004 0.9 
			 Alternative Representation 2005 3.5 
			 Directorate for Strategy and Information Restructuring 2004 1.2 
			 Local Efficiencies 2005 4.0 
			 BBC World Service 2004 20.1 
			 British Council 2004 13.0 
			 (1) Forecast calculated on September 2007. (2) The projects refer to additional savings from projects initiated before 2004.

Departments: Public Expenditure

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what dates his Department breached its  (a) resource,  (b) near-cash,  (c) administration and  (d) capital budgets since 2001; what the value of each breach was; and what the reason was for each breach.

Meg Munn: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has not breached its resource budget or its near-cash budget at any time since 2001. The Administration budget was overspent in financial year 2001-02 by 31,245,000 mainly as a result of the reclassification to Administration costs of items that had previously been treated as capital expenditure. The capital budget was overspent in financial year 2002-03 by 36,826,052 mainly as a result of the capitalisation of the Berlin embassy private finance initiative contract which was previously treated as off-balance sheet and in financial year 2006-07 by 1,968,000 mainly as a result of the reclassification of grants to the UN and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation as capital.

Departments: Public Expenditure

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in which financial years since 2001 his Department's outturn for its capital budget at the end of the year was less than planned at the beginning of the year; and what the  (a) value and  (b) reason for the underspend was in each case.

Meg Munn: The National Audit Office measures spending performance against plans by comparing outturns against final provision following Supplementary Estimatesrather than against plans at the start of the yearas plans can change during the year for a number of reasons, such as machinery of Government and classification changes. The definitive figures for final provision and provisional outturn are published each year in the Public Expenditure Outturns White Paper (available in the Library of the House). Changes to plans arising in-year are published in Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses, as are differences between provisional and final outturns.
	Capital underspends should be seen in the context of estate and information and communications technology programmes that stretch across a number of years. We fine tune spending across programmes towards the end of each financial year to get as close to our annual targets as possible but it is very difficult to turn the flow of capital spend on and off easily. A prudent approach is taken which resulted in underspends in some relevant years.

Departments: Road Traffic Offences

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many fixed penalty tickets were incurred by vehicles within the purview of his Department in the last year for which figures are available; and what the total cost was.

Meg Munn: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Services home fleet of vehicles have incurred 27 fixed penalty charges at a cost of 1,620.00 from January 2007. It is not possible to collate the information relevant to the FCO's overseas fleets without incurring disproportionate cost.
	All of the drivers employed by FCO Services are required to abide by the law at all times, they are held personally responsible for any speeding or other driving offences they may commit.
	In respect of vehicles provided by the Government Car and Despatch Agency, I refer the hon. Member to the reply Under-Secretary of State for Transport my hon. Friend the Member for Poplar and Caning Town (Jim Fitzpatrick), gave to him on 18 October 2007,  Official Report, columns 1185-86W.

Diplomatic Service: Defence Export Services Organisation

Richard Benyon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many Defence Export Services Organisation first secretaries there are in UK embassies and high commissions; and what plans there are to change that number.

Bob Ainsworth: I have been asked to reply.
	The Defence Export Services Organisation has 13 first secretary posts in British embassies and high commissions. From next spring it is planned to reduce the number to 12.

Entry Clearances: Telephone Services

Susan Kramer: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the effect of suspending the UKvisas advice line in 2007.

Kim Howells: There has been minimal effect since the suspension of the UKvisas advice line. During the closure period, UKvisas has been providing an enhanced email service, replying to inquiries within 24 hours and whenever possible the same day. UKvisas has received very few complaints.

EU Reform: Treaties

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will place in the Library the text of the Reform Treaty and Protocols agreed at Lisbon, including all the amendments in EU document CIG4/1/07 revision 1 of 5 October.

Jim Murphy: The documents approved at the informal meeting of Heads of State and Government on 18 and 19 October in Lisbon were sent to the Libraries of both Houses on 22 October. We will continue to forward all Inter-governmental Conference papers to the Libraries of both Houses as soon as we receive them.

EU Reform: Treaties

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will bring forward legislative proposals to repeal section 2 (1) of the European Communities Act 1972 if the EU Reform Treaty comes into effect.

Jim Murphy: No. As my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister said on 22 October
	if we secure all the detailed amendments that we have sought and that are in the text at the moment, we are prepared to sign the treaty and recommend to the House that the [Reform] treaty be ratified.[ Official Report, 22 October 2007; Vol. 465, c. 32.]
	The Reform Treaty cannot come into effect unless and until all 27 member states have ratified it in accordance with their constitutional arrangements. If section 2(1) of the European Communities Act 1972 were repealed, the UK would not only be unable to ratify the Reform Treaty, we would not be able to comply with our commitments under the EU Treaties generally.

EU Reform: Treaties

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which judicial authority will adjudicate on cases related to the UK's opt-ins under the proposed EU Reform Treaty.

Jim Murphy: Under the Reform Treaty, the UK's current opt-in arrangements on Title IV of the Treaty Establishing the European Community (covering asylum, immigration and civil justice) would be extended to cover the remaining areas of Justice and Home Affairs co-operation (which will be moved to Title IV). The UK's opt-in arrangements would also be reinforced to cover explicitly both amendments to existing measures as well as measures building on those parts of the Schengen acquis in which the UK participates.
	It is the role of the European Court of Justice to interpret Title IV of the European Community Treaty and the Protocols establishing the UK opt-in arrangements, and to review the legality of acts under Title IV and the Protocols. This will remain the case under the Reform Treaty.

European Court of Human Rights

John Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he plans to take in respect of the letter to his Department from the Fourth Section Registrar of the European Court of Human Rights dated 23 October.

Meg Munn: Any action in respect of deportations is for the Home Office. We are consulting with the Home Office and anticipate responding to the European Court of Human Right's letter of 23 October 2007 shortly.

Famagusta

Rudi Vis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he or another Minister from his Department will make a visit to the closed area of Famagusta.

Jim Murphy: There are currently no plans for Ministers from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to visit the closed area of Famagusta.

Iraq: Resettlement

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what definition he uses of locally engaged staff in Iraq; and how these differ from locally employed staff.

Kim Howells: The terms locally-engaged, locally-employed and local staff are used interchangeably. Both refer to staff who are recruited locally, as opposed to UK-based personnel who deploy or are posted to Iraq.

Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam: Sanctions

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether it is the Government's policy to support the introduction of targeted measures against the political and military leadership of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, as recommended by the UN Secretary General in his report on children and armed conflict in Sri Lanka S/2006/1006, December 2006.

Kim Howells: We have been seriously concerned by reports that have criticised parties to the Sri Lanka conflict including the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the Karuna faction for the recruitment and use of child soldiers in violation of applicable international law. We deplore this practice: there can be no excuse for failing to observe such basic human rights. The UK is a member of the UN Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict. We fully support the Working Group's conclusions of 13 June 2007, which strongly condemned the unlawful recruitment and use of child soldiers and all other violations and abuses committed against children by the LTTE and the Karuna faction and called for an immediate end to these practices. The UK also supports the Working Group's call for further steps to be taken in the coming months if parties to the conflict in Sri Lanka do not heed this call for progress to be made.

Maldives: Politics and Government

Gary Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will raise with President Gayoom of the Maldives at the forthcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Summit in Kampala concerns on progress on the Road Map to Reform in the Maldives.

Kim Howells: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has no current plans to meet with President Gayoom at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Kampala, Uganda in November.
	I refer the hon. Member to the statement I made to the House on 17 October 2007,  Official Report, columns 939-42.
	I highlighted the UK's excellent relationships with the Maldives, bilaterally and through our shared membership of the Commonwealth. I made clear that although there had been positive developments on the reform process to adopt a new constitution and establish multi-party democracy in Maldives, much further work remained. In a series of meetings since the summer with President Gayoom, his Ministers and the Maldives Democratic Party, Foreign and Commonwealth Office Ministers and senior officials have urged all to redouble their efforts to implement reform. This will be vital in order to meet the 30 November deadline for concluding the new constitution and to lay the groundwork for presidential elections in 2008.

Mansour Osanlou

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the government of Iran to ensure that Mansour Osanlou, the gaoled leader of the bus workers' union in Tehran, receives proper medical care for his eye condition; and if he will make a statement.

Kim Howells: According to a 23 October report from Amnesty International, Mansour Osanlou (the detained president of the Syndicate of Workers of the Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company) finally underwent an eye operation in a Tehran hospital on 20 October, where his family were allowed to visit him. We believe he returned to Evin prison on 25 October. We remain concerned about the treatment of prisoners in Iran, including lack of access to legal representation and medical treatment. In a meeting with the Iranian Ambassador on 16 July I raised specific concerns about the treatment of Mr. Osanlou and urged Iran to ensure that he is treated well and in accordance with his rights.
	Mr. Osanlou has been arrested and detained several times over the last two years for his involvement in peaceful industrial action by the bus worker's union. We have serious concerns about Iran's commitment to uphold its international obligations with regard to freedom of expression, freedom of association and the right to form or join trade unions. We are following Mr. Osanlou's situation closely, and will continue to raise our concerns with the Iranian authorities, bilaterally and through the EU.

Members' Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he intends to answer the letter to him dated 25 September from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. R. Tierney.

Meg Munn: I apologise for the delay in replying to my right hon. Friend. A reply was sent today.

Occupied Territories: Peace Negotiations

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 22 October 2007,  Official Report, columns 52-3W, on occupied territories: peace negotiations, whether Syria has been invited to the November meeting.

Kim Howells: Invitations have not yet been issued for the Annapolis meeting.

Oscar Oritz Antelo

Colin Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the cost was to his Department of the recent visit of Senator Oscar Oritz Antelo of Bolivia.

Kim Howells: Bolivian opposition Senator Oscar Ortiz Antelo made a private visit to the UK in early October. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) helped put Senator Ortiz in contact with the All Party Parliamentary Groups on Latin America and Bolivia, as well as with some academics and media. (FCO) officials did not attend these meetings, but the official and the research analyst responsible for Bolivia separately held a working meeting with Senator Ortiz. The FCO had no financial involvement in the visit.
	It is right and normal for FCO officials to maintain contact with senior figures from across the democratic spectrum in all countries, including Bolivia.

Pakistan: Entry Clearances

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make an assessment of the extent to which the geographical distribution of posts in Pakistan where visa applications are dealt with matches the geographical distribution of the residences of those making applications; and if he will make a statement.

Kim Howells: I refer my right hon. Friend to the reply my hon. Friend the Minister for Europe gave to him on 24 October 2007,  Official Report, column 359W.
	Moreover, an assessment could be made only by examination of individual visa application forms and this would incur disproportionate cost.

Palestinians: Frontiers

Andrew Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the total cost has been of the EU Border Assistance Mission in Rafah to  (a) the UK and  (b) the EU; and what it has done since the border was closed in June.

Kim Howells: The EU Border Assistance Mission (EUBAM) at Rafah will cost the EU 7 million (4,900,000) this year. The UK will pay a total of 1.19million (832,000) of this as part of its 17 per cent. contribution to the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) budget. Any reduction in mission costs arising from the closure of the border will not revert to the UK, but be redistributed within the CFSP budget.
	Since Hamas' take-over of Gaza, Gaza's crossings have either been closed, or only open for the import of humanitarian goods. The EUBAM mission is standing by at minimum operational strength, ready to resume its border-monitoring role at Rafah as soon as the situation allows. In the meantime, EUBAM staff are concentrating on the capacity building part of their mandate and offering support to the European Security and Defence Policy police mission in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (EUPOL COPPS). As one example of this, EUBAM Rafah experts recently assisted EUPOL COPPS in the delivery of public order training to the Palestinian civil police in the west bank.

Poland: Elections

Gary Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what basis Polish people were able to vote in the UK in the recent Polish general election; and whether any reciprocal arrangements are in place to enable British citizens in other EU countries to vote in British general elections.

Jim Murphy: The embassy of the Republic of Poland informed the Foreign and Commonwealth Office by diplomatic note that 20 polling stations were organised across the UK, including four in London, two in Scotland, one in Wales and one in Northern Ireland. Postal votes were not available to Polish citizens living in the UK.
	All British citizens living overseas, who were resident in the UK within the previous 15 years, can apply to become an overseas elector. They will then be able to vote in UK general and European parliamentary elections by postal or proxy vote. Voting at embassies and consulates overseas is not available.

Republic of Ireland: Diplomatic Service

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 23 October 2007,  Official Report, columns 191-2W, on the Republic of Ireland: diplomatic service, whether  (a) the decision to dispose of Glancairn, Co. Dublin,  (b) its subsequent lease back to his Department and  (c) the purchase of Malay Grange, Dublin was considered by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Board before a decision was made by Ministers.

Meg Munn: The matters referred to by my hon. Friend date back to the period 1998-2003. The papers available to us show that the decisions were taken by Ministers, on the advice of officials, as is normal for major Estates issues. Without an exhaustive search of the records, at disproportionate cost, it would not be possible to be more specific than this.

Republic of Ireland: Honours

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 22 October 2007,  Official Report, column 53W, on the Republic of Ireland: honours, by what date it was necessary for persons referred to in his reply to have notified the Secretary of State of their intention to remain a British subject.

Meg Munn: As long as the person was born in Ireland before 1 January 1949, there is no deadline on notifying the Secretary of State for the Home Department of their intentions to remain a British subject.

Sri Lanka: Human Rights

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs for what reasons the Government and its EU partners decided not to table a resolution on Sri Lanka at the sixth session of the UN Human Rights Council in September.

Kim Howells: The UK expressed concern about the human rights situation in Sri Lanka both nationally and through the EU in statements at the September 2007 session of the Human Rights Council. The EU also pushed for consideration by the Council as a whole by restarting negotiations on a text with the Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka with a view to updating the draft Decision originally tabled in October 2006. The EU and the Government of Sri Lanka were not able to agree wording, and the EU did not consider it appropriate to proceed further in advance of the visit of Louise Arbour, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, which took place from 10-15 October. The EU's text remains pending. We shall continue to use other opportunities at UN human rights bodies to raise our concerns.

Sri Lanka: Politics and Government

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government have taken to raise the situation in Sri Lanka at the UN Security Council.

Kim Howells: The situation in Sri Lanka is not on the UN Security Council's formal agenda (i.e. listed as a matter of which the Council is currently 'seized'). However, Sri Lanka has been mentioned in 27 Security Council debates since 2003, including in thematic discussions on Protection of Civilians; briefings by the High Commissioner for Refugees; and Reports of the Secretary-General on Women, Peace and Security.
	During the Security Council's biannual debate on protection of civilians in June this year, the UK expressed particular concern over the high human cost the escalation in conflict in Sri Lanka had brought.

Sri Lanka: Politics and Government

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the  (a) security and  (b) human rights situation in Sri Lanka; and if he will make a statement.

Kim Howells: We remain deeply concerned about the security situation in Sri Lanka. We have made clear our view that violence will not resolve the conflict. We have emphasised our willingness to assist efforts to help bring about a peaceful solution. We continue to stress to the Government of Sri Lanka the need to set out a credible framework for a negotiated settlement that can satisfy the legitimate aspirations of all Sri Lankans.
	We continue to raise our concerns about the human rights situation in Sri Lanka. My right hon. and noble Friend the Minister for Africa, Asia and the UN, Lord Malloch-Brown, did so most recently last month with Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Bogollagama. There are reports of serious abuses by Government forces as well as by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and the Karuna faction. Abuses include extra-judicial killings, disappearances and the use of child soldiers. Addressing human rights violations is a central part of our approach to finding a long-term solution to the conflict. We believe it is vital that reports of human rights violations in Sri Lanka are investigated fully and that those responsible are brought to justice. We have supported calls by the EU for the introduction of a UN-backed Human Rights Monitoring mission.

Ukraine: Entry Clearances

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answers of 9 October 2007,  Official Report, column 554W, on Ukraine: entry clearance, what average number of appointments have been  (a) kept and  (b) missed since the visa section in Kiev introduced an appointments system with a limit of seven per day.

Kim Howells: The majority of appointments are kept. On average 1-2 appointments per week are missed by applicants failing to appear to lodge their settlement applications.

Ukraine: Entry Clearances

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 9 October 2007,  Official Report, column 554W, on Ukraine: entry clearances, what average number of appointments were held per day before the introduction of the seven appointments per day limit.

Kim Howells: During the summer of 2007 an average of nine appointment slots for settlement applications were available per day in response to the increased demand. Prior to this the limit had been set at five appointments per day since October 2006.

Ukraine: Entry Clearances

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 9 October 2007,  Official Report, column 554W, on Ukraine: entry clearances, what the average notice period given for appointments was in the latest period for which figures are available.

Kim Howells: The average waiting period for appointments for non-settlement visas is six working days and for settlement visas 11 working days.

Ukraine: Entry Clearances

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 9 October 2007,  Official Report, column 554W, on Ukraine: entry clearances, what representations he has received on extending the minimum notice period of appointments for applications.

Kim Howells: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not received any representations on this issue apart from the hon. Member's parliamentary questions, which I answered on 9 October 2007,  Official Report, column 554W.
	Applicants choose the date and time of their appointment, rather than the visa section, with a minimum of 24 hours in advance.

Zimbabwe: Human Rights

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government have taken to strengthen mechanisms for the reporting of human rights violations in Zimbabwe.

Meg Munn: We remain deeply concerned about the deteriorating human rights situation in Zimbabwe. The UK, together with other EU member states, regularly monitors human rights violations and has obtained a wide-ranging and detailed picture of the level and extent of political violence. We actively participate in the implementation of the EU human rights defenders strategy in Zimbabwe, which includes regular contact with and support for human rights defenders. Our embassies in the region, and in particular in Harare, regularly meet with EU and other key partners, including local and international non-governmental organisations, to consider how best human rights can be defended. As part of the EU, and in our national capacity, the UK regularly raises concerns at the UN Human Rights Council, most recently in September.
	The UK has also given substantial financial support to civil society organisations in Zimbabwe working to defend human rights, monitor violations and promote good governance (2.5 million in 2006, increasing to 3.3 million in 2007).

CHILDREN, SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES

Academies

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the percentage of English pupils who were educated in academies in each year since 2005; and what projection he has made of the percentage in each year until 2020.

Jim Knight: Information on the proportion of pupils in England educated in academies from 2005 to 2008 is included in the following table. The projected number of academies to be opened (and therefore the overall number of pupils in academies) by the end of the 2008-09; 2009-10 and 2010-11 financial years is subject to the detailed allocation of funds to the academies programme from the Department's spending review settlement, which will be announced shortly. Financial allocations for later years, which will impact on the number of academies and pupils receiving education in them, are subject to future spending review decisions.
	
		
			  Percentage 
			   Proportion of all pupils in England educated in academies  Proportion of all pupils aged 11 to 15 in England educated in academies 
			 2005 (1) (1) 
			 2006 (1) 1 
			 2007 1 1 
			 2008 1 2 
			 (1) Represents a proportion that is less than 1 per cent.   Notes:  1. Percentages are rounded to the nearest percentage point.  2. Total pupil numbers in all schools include those in maintained nursery, maintained primary, maintained secondary, city technology colleges, maintained special schools, maintained pupil referral units, non-maintained special schools, independent schools and academies.  3. Calculations based on full-time equivalents where part-time pupils are counted as 0.5.  4 School information used in calculations is pupil level based from all schools except for Pupil Referral Units. Data include dually registered pupils.  5. Figures for 2007 and 2008 are projections.   Source:  2006 Annual Schools Census and DCSF projections.

Academies: Finance

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will seek to legislate to ensure that if an academy acts in contravention of its funding agreement to the detriment of a pupil or parent, any person disadvantaged would have a direct remedy in law.

Jim Knight: holding answer 25 October 2007
	 Academies' funding agreements are legally binding. If an academy acted in contravention of its funding agreement to the detriment of any pupil or parent, any person disadvantaged by the contravention could raise the matter with the Secretary of State. The Secretary of State can intervene to ensure any such matter is rectified and may pursue the issue through the courts if appropriate.

Children: Autism

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what recent estimate he has made of the number of children on the autistic spectrum who do not have a school place; and what the average length of time such children spent out of school before an appropriate placement is found was in the last period for which figures are available.

Jim Knight: The Department for Children, Schools and Families does not hold this information.
	We do collect some information about the placement of children with a statement of SEN, In January 2007, 850 children with a statement were awaiting provision and a further 160 children had been permanently excluded and not yet placed elsewhere.(1)
	( 1) Source:
	SEN2 Survey, January 2007 previously published on 26 June 2007 in the Statistical First Release 'Special Educational Needs in England, January 2007'. Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10.

Children: Day Care

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what definition he uses of affordable childcare; what estimate he has made of the number of affordable childcare places which  (a) were required in each of the last 10 years and  (b) will be required in future years for which estimates are available; and how many affordable childcare places (i) were available in each of the last 10 years and (ii) he expects to be available in future years for which figures are available.

Beverley Hughes: There is no universally applicable definition of affordability. Individual family circumstances will determine how affordable childcare is in relation to family income and is relative to the different levels of wages in different regions. We know however that childcare costs can have a substantial impact on the family budget, especially those in lower income households, which is why we are providing substantial help (over 3 million a day) through the tax credit system and 12.5 hours of free early education for all three and four year olds.
	The Childcare Act 2006 requires local authorities in England to assess childcare in their areas by April 2008, and then to secure sufficient childcare for working parents and those in education or training leading to work. The affordability of childcare will be an important factor in determining whether there is sufficient childcare in a local authority area.

Children: Diabetes

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what guidance his Department issues to schools on the care of children with diabetes; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The Department, in conjunction with Department of Health, published in 2005 guidance for schools 'Managing Medicines in Schools and Early Years Settings' which includes specific advice on diabetes.
	The Department also publishes guidance to schools on the Teachernet website on handling incidents arising from medical conditions, including hypoglycaemic episodes.
	http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/emergencies/typesofincident/medicalconitions/diabetes.html

Children: Poverty

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children were considered to be living in poverty in each year since 1997.

Caroline Flint: I have been asked to reply.
	The most commonly used poverty indicator is the proportion of households below 60 per cent. of contemporary median income. Income is measured before housing costs: this is the international norm.
	The information requested is available on page 53 of the Households Below Average Income 1994/95-2005/06 (Revised). This is available in the Library.

Coleham School Shrewsbury: Finance

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will meet the Head of Coleham Primary School to discuss funding issues in Shrewsbury.

Jim Knight: Due to diary commitments the Secretary of State is unable to meet the head teacher of Coleham Primary School. Officials in the Department will contact the hon. Member to arrange a meeting in the near future.

Curriculum

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of children in year 11 in English schools were taught  (a) history,  (b) geography,  (c) a modern language and  (d) physics in each year since 1990; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The information requested is in the following table:
	
		
			  Percentage of all 15-year-old pupils( 1 ) attempting GCSEs 
			   Geography  History  Physics  French  German  Spanish  Other modern languages 
			 1994 43.9 39.0 6.6 55.5 20.7 5.3 2.8 
			 1995 44.8 38.6 5.7 54.8 21.0 5.4 2.8 
			 1996 45.5 35.8 6.0 53.2 21.3 5.7 2.9 
			 1997 44.3 35.4 5.9 52.2 21.7 5.9 3.0 
			 1998 41.0 32.9 6.3 53.4 22.1 6.7 3.2 
			 1999 39.6 32.5 6.4 53.6 22.3 6.8 3.2 
			 2000 37.4 32.8 6.5 54.0 22.0 7.3 3.3 
			 2001 36.5 32.4 6.4 53.2 21.7 7.6 3.4 
			 2002 34.3 32.0 6.4 51.4 20.6 8.0 3.4 
			 2003 32.2 31.3 6.4 48.9 19.4 8.2 3.5 
			 2004 30.6 31.9 6.6 45.0 18.1 8.3 3.4 
			 2005 29.3 31.8 7.0 38.2 15.5 8.1 3.3 
			 2006 28.5 31.8 7.4 32.1 13.0 7.9 3.2 
			 2007(2) 27.9 30.9 8.1 28.7 11.5 8.1 2.7 
			 (1) Aged 15 on 31 August. (2 )Data for 2007 are provisional. 
		
	
	Data are not available prior to 1994. A time series for any modern foreign language is not available, and so separate time series for French, German and Spanish have been given.
	The Department does not hold data on the number of pupils to study certain subjects. The closest indicator held by the Department is the number of entries for each subject. It is possible that some students may study a subject but not be entered for a qualification in it.

Departments: Older Workers

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many employees in  (a) his Department and  (b) each (i) executive agency and (ii) non-departmental public body funded by his Department applied to continue to work beyond state retirement age in the latest year or part thereof for which figures are available; and how many of those applications were successful.

Jim Knight: The Department has no set retirement age for the majority of staff. A retirement age of 65 has been adopted by central Government for the senior civil service (SCS) but members of the SCS can request to work beyond that age.
	The Department has not received any requests from SCS members to work beyond 65 years of age.

Education Maintenance Allowance

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  what the cost of the education maintenance allowance has been in  (a) Cheadle constituency,  (b) Stockport Metropolitan borough council area,  (c) Greater Manchester and  (d) England;
	(2)  how many people in  (a) Cheadle constituency,  (b) Stockport Metropolitan borough council area,  (c) Greater Manchester and  (d) England have applied for an education maintenance allowance;
	(3)  how many people in  (a) Cheadle constituency,  (b) Stockport Metropolitan borough council area,  (c) Greater Manchester and  (d) England have received the (i) 10, (ii) 20 and (ii) 30 education maintenance allowance;
	(4)  what percentage of 16 to 19-year-olds in  (a) Cheadle constituency,  (b) Stockport Metropolitan borough council area,  (c) Greater Manchester and  (d) England have applied for an education maintenance allowance;
	(5)  what percentage of 16 to 19-year-olds in  (a) Cheadle constituency,  (b) Stockport Metropolitan borough council area,  (c) Greater Manchester and  (d) England have received the (i) 10, (ii) 20 and (iii) 30 education maintenance allowance;
	(6)  what percentage of applications for an education maintenance allowance have been successful in  (a) Cheadle constituency,  (b) Stockport Metropolitan borough council area,  (c) Greater Manchester and  (d) England.

Jim Knight: These are all matters for the Learning and Skills Council (LSC), who operate the education maintenance allowance (EMA) for the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) and hold the information about take-up and payments under the scheme. Mark Haysom, the council's Chief Executive, will write to the hon. Member with the information requested and a copy of his reply will be placed in the House Library.

Education Maintenance Allowance

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps his Department has taken to advertise and raise awareness of the education maintenance allowance; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: This is a matter for tie Learning and Skills Council (LSC), who operate and have responsibility for advertising and raising awareness of the education maintenance allowance (EMA) scheme for the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF). Mark Haysom, the council's Chief Executive, will write to the hon. Member with the information requested and a copy of his reply will be placed in the House Library.

Education Maintenance Allowance: Leeds

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many young people in  (a) Leeds West constituency and  (b) Leeds have been granted an education maintenance allowance since its inception.

Jim Knight: This is a matter for the Learning and Skills Council (LSC), who operate the education maintenance allowance (EMA) for the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) and hold the information about take-up and payments made under the scheme. Mark Haysom, the LSC's Chief Executive will write to my right hon. Friend with the information requested and a copy of his reply will be placed in the House Library.

Education Maintenance Allowance: Warrington

Helen Southworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many people in Warrington borough have received the education maintenance allowance.

Jim Knight: holding answer 18 October 2007
	 This is a matter for the Learning and Skills Council (LSC), who operate the education maintenance allowance (EMA) for the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) and hold the information about take-up and payments made under the scheme. Mark Haysom, the LSC's Chief Executive, will write to my hon. Friend with the information requested and a copy of his reply will be placed in the House Library.

Education: Assessments

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  what assessment  (a) his Department and  (b) the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority has made of the time taken in preparing for Key Stage Two tests in year 6 in the months leading up to these tests; what proportion of total curriculum time is spent on average in preparing for these tests; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what estimates have been made by  (a) Ofsted,  (b) the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority and  (c) his Department of the time taken in year 9 for Key Stage Three test preparation; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The best preparation for any test is to ensure a pupil has the deep knowledge and understanding of a concept, and the experience of practising a skill, which permits them to demonstrate that knowledge, understanding or skill proficiently and in response to a variety of possible test questions.
	Preparation for assessment should be wholly integrated into the classroom experience for pupils and not at the expense of teaching the wider curriculum.
	The National Assessment Agency, which is responsible for administering the tests, advises schools to prepare their pupils for the tests by providing them with opportunities to familiarise themselves with the layout and design of past test papers, encouraging them to work independently and to be aware that there may be questions in the tests that they will not be able to answer. Head teachers have responsibility for deciding how much preparation pupils should have, but neither the Department nor NAA recommend intensive preparation for the tests.
	Ofsted does not hold information that would enable them to provide estimates about the test preparation time.

Education: Assessments

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what plans his Department has to evaluate, on an ongoing basis, the  (a) intended and  (b) unintended effects of the use of national targets in Key Stage tests; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: Since 1998 schools and local authorities have set targets for pupils' performance in National Curriculum tests and public examinations. The impact of targets on the educational system has been evaluated through the annual test and examination results and through consultation with head teachers and local authorities. We have always made clear that we will consider sensible suggestions for how targets can be refined and improved to help teachers.
	The evidence from the test and examination results since 1997 shows clearly that targets have been a powerful stimulus for improvements in standards over the last 10 years. Literacy and numeracy skills have increased significantly across all key stages, This year, 100,000 more 11 year-olds achieved the target level 4+ at Key Stage 2 in English and 90,000 more did so in mathematics compared with 1997. At secondary level, 62,000 more pupils achieved five good GCSEs including English and mathematics compared with 1997. Such rapid improvements would not have been achieved without the challenge of specific and focused targets related to performance outcomes.
	In 2004 following an extensive consultation with head teachers we moved to empower schools to set pupil-driven targets that give them ownership of the goals and help them focus on improving teaching and learning in the classroom.
	Targets continue to play an essential part in the Government's commitment to raising educational standards. As part of the Comprehensive Spending Review we have announced new targets which will place a focus on improving progression throughout the education system. We want to ensure that more pupils make the expected progress through the key stages at school as well as ensuring they reach the expected levels at the end of each key stage, especially pupils from disadvantages backgrounds who have not kept pace with their peers. The progress targets are an important step in helping all pupils reach their potential.

Education: Assessments

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  what assessment he has carried out of the merits of national tests at each Key Stage; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of whether the Key Stage 2 test results give a reliable indication of pupil ability in the test subjects; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: National curriculum tests at each Key Stage provide a fully objective means of assessing all pupils in England on a consistent basis. This in turn provides information on standards nationally, in the priority subjects, improves accountability of schools to parents and to taxpayers and helps inform parents and teachers how individual pupils are progressing so that they can effectively plan their future learning and development. In short, national tests equip us with the best data possible about performance in Key Stages 1, 2 and 3 to support the education system as a whole.
	The national curriculum tests are designed by the National Assessment Agency (NAA) to differentiate fairly between pupils of different attainment, in line with the level descriptions in the national curriculum. They use statistical and judgemental procedures, as laid out in the National Curriculum Assessment Code of Practice to ensure that the standards of performance required for the award of each level are maintained consistently from year to year.
	The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority is responsible for ensuring that standards are maintained over time and its processes for doing so in relation to national curriculum tests were found by the independent Rose Panel (1999), an independent panel commissioned by the Secretary of State to review the procedures to set and maintain standards, to be robust and to bear comparison with best practice in the world.

Extracurricular Activities

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps the Government have taken to encourage children to take part in extra-curricular activities at school since 1997.

Jim Knight: holding answer 25 October 2007
	 Extra-curricular activities can help increase the attainment of individual children and young people, as well as increase their aspirations and motivation to learn, enabling every child to fulfil their potential. Since 1997, the Government have been firmly committed to giving children and young people the opportunity to benefit from a wide range of extra curricular activity.
	Study support is recognised as a key tool in raising pupil attainment and Improving behaviour and attendance. Since 1997 a range of activity has been undertaken, spearheaded by the publication in 1999 of the strategy document Extending Opportunity: A National Framework for Study Support. As part of this, all schools were given access to ring-fenced Government funding for study support activities via the Standards Fund; this was subsumed into mainstream funding In 2004-05.
	Playing for Success (PfS) was introduced in 1997 as part of the commitment to tackle under-achievement in urban areas. PfS is establishing study support centres at sports clubs' grounds with the aim of raising standards in literacy, numeracy, information and communication technology (ICT) among young people aged between nine and 14 years. The centres use the environment and motivating factor of sport to help pupils to re-engage with education. Typically, pupils attend for two hours per evening, after school, over a 10-week period. Attendance is voluntary. PfS has grown over the past 10 years, and in that period over 220,000 pupils have benefited from attending PfS.
	Study support is now part of the extended schools programme, which promotes participation in extra-curricular activity. Starting with 60 local authorities (LAs) in 2003-04, and increasing to include all LAs in 2005-06, the Department piloted Full Service Extended Schools (FSES), delivering a full core set of services to pupils, families and the wider community.
	Building from the success of FSES, the Government are committed to every school providing access to the core offer by 2010. The core offer is: a varied menu of activities (including study support and play) and child care; community access to facilities, swift and easy access to targeted and specialist services; and parenting support. The varied menu aspect of the core offer will give all children and young people the opportunity to engage in voluntary out of school hours activities, both before and after school. Activities can include breakfast clubs, homework clubs, sport, music and the arts and opportunities to pursue particular interests. There are currently over 8,000 schools delivering access to the core offer.
	Significant funding has been provided to support extended schools. 680 million was made available between 2005-06 to 2007-08 to support the start up of extended schools. In July 2008, over 1 billion funding was announced for extended schools between 2008-09 to 2010-11. As part of this, 265 million will be made available to support children from disadvantaged backgrounds benefiting from additional out-of-hours tuition and after-school clubs.
	Extended schools can already be shown to be making a positive impact. The Universities of Manchester and Newcastle study into the effectiveness of Full Service Extended Schools (published in June 2007) found that FSES had a positive impact on the attainment of pupils and on engagement with teaming, family stability and enhanced life chances and generated positive outcomes for families and local people, This adds to an analysis undertaken by the Department for Education and Skills, which found progress in the percentage of pupils achieving five plus A*-C at GCSE in extended schools was around double the rate of the national average between 2005 and 2006.

GCE A-Level: Mathematics

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps he is taking to address the decline in take-up of mathematics and science subjects at A level.

Jim Knight: The Government are improving the take-up of mathematics and science A levels through a range of measures including:
	piloting science and engineering clubs offering an engaging and stretching programme of activities to key stage 3 pupils with an interest and aptitude for science;
	increasing opportunities to study the separate sciences of physics, chemistry and biology at GCSE level;
	introducing a second mathematics GCSE from 2010;
	from September 2007, a new statutory entitlement to a course of study leading to two science GCSEs;
	funding a network of further mathematics centres through the Mathematics in Industry (MEI) project to increase the number of young people taking further mathematics A level;
	developing a longer term communications strategy aimed at young people, teachers and parents to promote the value of science, technology, engineering and mathematics learning and skills for future prospects in order to boost take-up of post-16 qualifications in these subject areas.
	A level entries for biology, chemistry, physics, other sciences, mathematics and further maths increased in 2007 compared to 2006.

GCE A-level: Standards

Rudi Vis: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many young people gained  (a) three,  (b) four and  (c) five grade A passes at A2 level in (i) 2006 and (ii) 2007.

Jim Knight: The information requested is given in the following table. These figures relate to 16 to 18-year-olds sitting GCE A levels during the academic year in question.
	
		
			   Number of A grade passes at A2 level 
			   3  4  5 or more 
			 2005/06 17,582 7,631 1,564 
			 2006/07(1) 19,189 8,005 1,581 
			 (1) The 2007 figures are provisional. Schools and colleges will have the opportunity to amend their results as part of the annual checking exercise. As a result these figures may change.

GCE AS Level

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the purpose is of the AS level examinations at age 17; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The availability of AS level in year 12 offers choice to young people. Many choose to take a wider range of subjects at AS in year 12, before perhaps specialising further for their full A levels. Taking an exam in year 12 gives them a clear basis for taking such decisions and can encourage further study. Having a discrete award also means this study is recognised by a qualification, so those that do not go on to complete a full A level are not left empty handed. The design of the A level means that the AS forms half of the overall assessment; the option to take them in year 12 allows the whole A level assessment to be spread over two years.
	AS levels do not have to be taken in year 12. For young people and schools that prefer a linear approach to A level assessment, the structure also allows for the exams to be taken at the end of the course, alongside the A2 component.

GCSE and A-Level

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of marks for each GCSE and A-level were allocated to each subject in the latest year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The figures readily available relate to the percentage of pupils who got each grade at different A-level and GCSE subjects respectively. These can be found at
	GCSE and equivalent: Tables 10-13 in the Statistical First Release: GCSE and Equivalent Results in England, 2006/07 (Provisional). This information is available in the House of Commons Library or at the following link:
	http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000754/index.shtml
	A-Level and equivalent: Tables 2-7 in the Statistical First Release: GCE/VCE A/AS and Equivalent Examination Results in England, 2006/07 (Provisional). This information is available in the House of Commons Library or at the following link:
	http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000755/index.shtml

GCSE and A-Level

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the accuracy of coursework marks for  (a) GCSE and  (b) A-levels; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what evidence  (a) his Department and  (b) the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority has of re-drafting of (i) GCSE and (ii) A-level coursework after feedback from teachers; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: It is for the awarding bodies to moderate coursework marks and ensure that the grades they award are fair and consistent. Accreditation of A-levels and GCSEs includes consideration of the quality assurance and controls they have in place. It is for the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) as the qualifications regulator to oversee standards and fairness within the exams system. Its Regulations and Standards Division runs monitoring and scrutiny programmes of awarding body practice on coursework.
	The QCA's 2005 review of coursework in GCE and GCSE identified concerns about the nature and amount of support that it is appropriate for teachers to give. In response to this QCA issued guidelines to teachers and pupils on how much help centres can give to candidates. The Joint Council for Qualifications also provided a set of rules, which took effect from September 2006, which cover how much help teachers can give students. Awarding bodies use these rules to challenge and deal with any individual instances of inappropriate behaviour. There is no evidence to suggest that breaches of the rules are in any way widespread.
	The changes being made to strengthen further GCSE and A-level arrangements include changes to coursework arrangements in many subjects and the introduction of controlled assessments. These will bring tighter controls around: task setting by teachers or awarding bodies; supervision of task taking and task marking by teachers or awarding bodies. Teacher set and marked tasks will not be allowed in GCSE.

GCSE and A-Level

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what mark was required to obtain an  (a) C grade and  (b) A grade in each (i) GCSE and (ii) A-level course in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: This information on grade boundaries is not held centrally. The process awarding bodies go through to ensure that standards are consistent means there will be variations in terms of the raw marks required between different awarding bodies' qualifications and from year-to-year. It is for the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority as the qualifications regulator to oversee the awarding process to ensure that standards are comparable both between different qualifications and over time.

GCSE and A-Level

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which GCSEs and diplomas were entirely assessed through coursework in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: No GCSEs have been awarded entirely on the basis of 100 per cent. internal assessment since 1997. The first five lines of the new Diplomas will begin to be offered from September 2008 and will be awarded on the basis of both internal and external assessment.

General Certificate of Secondary Education: Standards

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what percentage of  (a) 15-year-olds and  (b) pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 achieved five or more GCSEs at grades A* to C including (i) English, mathematics and science and (ii) English, mathematics, science and a modern foreign language in (A) 2006-07 and (B) 2005-06.

Jim Knight: The information requested is given as follows:
	
		
			  (a) 15-year-olds 
			   15-year-old pupils( 1)  who gained 5+A*-C at GCSE including English, mathematics and science GCSEs  15-year-old pupils( 1)  who gained 5+A*-C at GCSE including English, mathematics, science and a MFL GCSEs 
			   Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage 
			 2006 263,525 40.6 167,114 25.8 
			 2007(2) 264,520 40,3 154,520 23.5 
			 (1) Aged 15 on 31 August. (2) Figures for 2007 are provisional. 
		
	
	
		
			  (b) Pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 
			   Pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 who gained 5+A*-C at GCSE including English, mathematics and science GCSEs  Pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 who gained 5+A*-C at GCSE including English, mathematics, science and a MFL GCSEs 
			   Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage 
			 2006 265,309 411 168,338 261 
			 2007(1) 266,020 41,0 155,462 24.0 
			 (1) Figures for 2007 are provisional.

Independent Schools

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 30 January 2006,  Official Report, column 80W, to the hon. Member for Altrincham and Sale, West (Mr. Brady) on independent schools, how many and what percentage of children of  (a) primary and  (b) secondary school age in (i) Reading and (ii) Wokingham attended independent schools in each year since 1999-2000.

Jim Knight: The available information is shown in the following tables.
	
		
			  Independent schools( 1) : Number and percentage of pupils aged 5 to 10 and 11 to 15( 2) , position in January each year, by local authority area and government office region in England 
			   1999  2000  2001 
			   Pupils aged 5 to 10  %( 3)  Pupils aged 11 to 15  % e( 3)  Pupils aged 5 to 10  %( 3)  Pupils aged 11 to 15  % e( 3)  Pupils aged 5 to 10  %( 3)  Pupils aged 11 to 15  % e( 3) 
			 England 201,180 5.2 211,950 7.0 203,120 5.3 213,270 6.9 205,590 5.4 217,620 6.9 
			 South east 52,400 8.5 51,210 10.7 53,830 8.7 51,680 10.5 54,720 8.9 53,230 10.6 
			  
			 870 Reading 817 8.2 1,446 21.1 804 8.2 1,452 20.8 843 8.7 1,500 21.4 
			 872 Wokingham 1,100 8.7 1,027 10.2 1,109 8.8 1,047 10.2 1,124 9.0 1,082 10.4 
		
	
	
		
			   2002  2003  2004 
			   Pupils aged 5 to 10  %( 3)  Pupils aged 11 to 15  % e( 3)  Pupils aged 5 to 10  %( 3)  Pupils aged 11 to 15  % e( 3)  Pupils aged 5 to 10  %( 3)  Pupils aged 11 to 15  % e( 3) 
			 England 207,090 5.5 222,150 7.0 206,510 5.5 226,180 7.0 205,340 5.5 232,730 7.1 
			 South east 55,110 9.0 54,740 10.7 54,420 9.0 55,780 10.7 53,690 9.0 57,570 11.0 
			  
			 870 Reading 782 8.2 1,516 21.6 795 8.5 1,540 22.3 776 6.5 1,530 22.8 
			 872 Wokingham 1,140 9.3 1,185 11.2 1,147 9.5 1,254 11.7 1,152 9.7 1,236 11.6 
		
	
	
		
			   2005  2006  2007 
			   Pupils aged 5 to 10  %( 3)  Pupils aged 11 to 15  % e( 3)  Pupils aged 5 to 10  %( 3)  Pupils aged 11 to 15  % e( 3)  Pupils aged 5 to 10  %( 3)  Pupils aged 11 to 15  % e( 3) 
			 England 202,670 5.5 232,080 7.1 200,440 5.5 233,820 7.2 199,030 5.6 232,620 7.3 
			 South East 52,960 8.9 57,730 11.0 52,390 8.9 58,160 11.1 52,040 8.9 58,020 11.2 
			  
			 870 Reading 794 8.7 1,455 22.2 778 6.6 1,439 22.0 727 8.2 1,449 22.2 
			 872 Wokingham 1,168 9.8 1,106 10.7 1,108 9.5 1,169 11.2 1,036 9.0 1,164 11.3 
			 (1) Excludes City Technology Colleges and Academies (2) Age as at 31 August in previous year (start of academic year) (3) Number of pupils in independent schools expressed as a percentage of number of pupils in same age group across all schools (excludes dually registered pupils) National and regional totals may not appear to equal the sum of the component parts because numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10.

Languages: Curriculum

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of children were taught a modern foreign language in  (a) year 2,  (b) year 6,  (c) year 9 and  (d) year 11 in maintained schools in England in the last year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: We have not collected any data on language learning in year 2, as there is no requirement for schools to teach modern foreign language in Key Stage 1. Research published by the National Foundation for Educational Research in June 2007 found that 70 per cent. of primary schools are teaching a foreign language in class time in Key Stage 2. We do not have accurate data that break this down into individual year groups so cannot provide a figure for year 6 pupils.
	Languages are compulsory at Key Stage 3 so all pupils in year 9 should be taught a modern foreign language. We do not know the exact proportion of pupils who were taught a language at Key Stage 4. 46 per cent. of all pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 took a GCSE in a modern foreign language in 2007, but a few of these pupils may not have been taught, and some may have been taught but decided not to take the exam.

Learning and Skills Council

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families when he next plans to meet the Chief Executive of the Learning and Skills Council.

Jim Knight: I have regular meetings with Mark Haysom, the Chief Executive of the Learning and Skills Council (LSC), as part of the overall accountability and performance framework. These include regular formal review meetings. Our next such meeting is taking place on 5 November, I met Mark Haysom on 23 October when I visited the LSC's head office in Coventry.

Literacy: Lancashire

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the number of  (a) 11 year olds,  (b) 13 year olds and  (c) 16 year olds in Lancashire who were functionally illiterate in each of the last 10 years.

Jim Knight: Improving standards of literacy and numeracy at all stages of education has been one of the Governments top priorities. Since 1997 the results achieved by 11-year-olds and 14-year-olds as measured by National Curriculum tests in English have risen dramatically with provisional figures for 2007 showing that 80 per cent. of 11-year-olds in England reached the target level 4 and above (an increase of 17 percentage points over 1997) and 74 per cent. of 14-year-olds reached the target level 5 and above (an increase of 17 percentage points over 1997).
	The National Curriculum provides a clear description of the literacy skills that children are able to demonstrate at different levels of attainment. At age 11 (the end of Key Stage 2) the expected level of achievement is level 4. Children achieving level 4 have literacy skills that mean they can access complex forms of language and complex ideas. They can use inference and deduction and can locate and use ideas and information. Their writing in a range of forms is lively and thoughtful. Handwriting style is fluent joined and legible. Full stops, capital letters and question marks are used accurately and pupils can use punctuation within a sentence.
	Although level 4 is the target that we expect children to reach by the end of primary school, provisional figures show that 93 per cent. of 11-year-olds achieved at least Level 3 in English in 2007. Children assessed at level 3 can read a range of texts accurately and independently; and their writing is organised, legible and clear. Children who are assessed at level 2 will show confidence in talking and listening and their reading of simple texts will be accurate and show understanding.
	The following table shows the proportion of pupils in Lancashire local authority achieving level 4 or above in Key Stage 2 English tests for each year since 1998(1).
	(1) Local Government boundary changes mean that comparisons before 1998 are not valid.
	
		
			   Proportion 
			 1998 68 
			 1999 73 
			 2000 76 
			 2001 76 
			 2002 75 
			 2003 76 
			 2004 79 
			 2005 81 
			 2006 81 
			 2007 81 
		
	
	The expected level of achievement at age 14 (the end of Key Stage 3) is level 5. Pupils achieving level 5 are able to speak in ways which suit different situations. They show understanding of the different things they are reading and can explain how writers influence readers. They can write in different ways that are interesting to the reader, using different sentence structures, putting writing in paragraphs and using punctuation accurately. In 2007 provisional figures show that 88 per cent. of 14-year-olds achieved at least level 3 in English.
	The following table shows the proportion of pupils in Lancashire local authority achieving level 5 or above in Key Stage 3 English tests for each year since 1998:
	
		
			   Proportion 
			 1998 68 
			 1999 66 
			 2000 66 
			 2001 69 
			 2002 71 
			 2003 72 
			 2004 72 
			 2005 75 
			 2006 73 
			 2007 74 
		
	
	There is no comparable nationally expected level of achievement for 16-year-olds (pupils at the end of Key Stage 4). The Government's target is for 60 per cent. of 16-year-olds to achieve 5 good GGSE grades (A*-C) or equivalent by 2008, Provisional figures for 2007 published on 18 October show that this target has been met. But we are raising the bar and in future the target for the end of Key Stage 4 will be measured against the proportion of pupils achieving 5 grades A*-C or equivalent, including GCSE English and mathematics. The provisional 2007 figure for England achieving this standard was 46.5 per cent.
	The following table shows the proportion of pupils in Lancashire local authority achieving 5 or more grades A*-C or equivalent, including GCSE English and Mathematics for each year since 1998:
	
		
			   Proportion 
			 1998 38.2 
			 1999 39.8 
			 2000 41.3 
			 2001 40.9 
			 2002 42.6 
			 2003 42.2 
			 2004 42.7 
			 2005 44.5 
			 2006 45.8 
			 2007 47.7 
		
	
	The provisional figures for 2007 show that 60 per cent. of pupils in England achieved at least Grade C in GCSE English. We do not publish disaggregated figures for GGSE subjects at local authority level.

Pupils: Literacy

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the number of 11-year-olds who were functionally illiterate in each of the last 10 years.

Jim Knight: holding answer 22 October 2007
	We do not have a measure of functional literacy. However; information on the attainment of pupils in Key Stage 2 English tests is shown in the following table. The expected level of achievement at Key Stage 2 is Level 4.
	The characteristics of Levels 2 to 5 are as follows:
	 Level 2
	At level 2 children begin to show confidence in talking and listening, and reading of simple texts shows understanding and is accurate.
	 Level 3
	Children achieving level 3 are able to read a range of texts accurately and independently, tackle unfamiliar words and self correct when their reading doesn't make sense.
	At level 3 pupils' writing is organised, legible and clear. Punctuation to mark sentencesfull stops, capital letters and question marksis used accurately. Handwriting is joined and legible. Pupils are aware of standard English and when it is used.
	 Level 4
	A level 4 child has access to more complex forms of language and can access more complex ideas. They can use inference and deduction and can locate and use ideas and information.
	At level 4 children's writing in a range of forms is lively and thoughtful. Handwriting style is fluent, joined and legible. Full stops, capital letters and question marks are used accurately and pupils can use punctuation within a sentence.
	 Level 5
	Graduating to level 5 pupils can confidently read and discuss a range of texts, selecting essential points using inference and deduction where appropriate. Writing conveys meaning clearly in a range of forms using a more formal style where appropriate.
	
		
			  Percentage of pupils at each level 
			   A  T/D  B  N  W( 1)  1( 1)  2  3  4  5  6( 1)  Total  % at Level 4 or above  % at Level 5 or above 
			 1995 4 0  0 0 1 7 39 41 7 0 100 49 7 
			 1996 3 0  2 0 1 6 30 45 12 0 100 57 12 
			 1997 3 0 4 2   1 26 48 16 0 100 63 16 
			 1998 2 0 4 2   1 26 48 17 0 100 65 17 
			 1999 2 0 3 2   1 20 48 22 0 100 71 22 
			 2000 2 0 3 2   1 17 46 29 0 100 75 29 
			 2001 1 1 3 2   1 17 46 29 0 100 75 29 
			 2002 1 1 3 2   1 17 46 29 0 100 75 29 
			 2003 1 1 3 2   1 16 48 27  100 75 27 
			 2004 1 0 4 2   1 14 50 27  100 78 27 
			 2005 1 0 4 2   1 14 52 27  100 79 27 
			 2006 1 0 4 1   1 14 47 32  100 79 32 
			 2007(2) 1 0 4 1   1 13 47 33  100 80 33 
			 A = pupils who were absent.  T = pupils working at the level of the assessment but unable to access the test.  D = pupils disapplied from teacher assessment.  B = pupils who were assessed by teacher assessment only.  N = pupils who took the tests but failed to register a level.  W = pupils who are working towards Level 1 but have not yet achieved the standards needed for Level 1.  (1) Levels W and 1 were valid in 1995 and 1996 only. Level 6 was valid from 1995-2002 only.  (2) Figures for 2007 are based on provisional data. Figures for all other years are based on final data.  Note:  Data cover all schools entering pupils for KS2 tests.

Private Education: Assessments

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  what proportion of English private schools have dropped the use of tests at key stages one, two, three and four; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what the average number of GCSEs taken by each pupil in English schools was in each year since 1987; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The information requested can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Private Education: Standards

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of children in private schools in England achieved an A or A* grade in  (a) GCSEs,  (b) AS levels and  (c) A levels in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: In 2007, 82.2 per cent. of pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 in independent schools achieved at least one A or A* grade at GCSE. The proportion of 16 to 18-year-olds who sat GCE A-levels in 2007 in independent schools who achieved at least one A grade was 65 per cent. The figure for AS-levels is 46 per cent.
	These figures are provisional and are likely to change as a result of the Achievement and Attainment Tables checking process.

Pupil Exclusions

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how many serious case reviews were conducted in each London constituency in each year since 2000;
	(2)  how many serious case reviews were conducted in each year since 2000.

Kevin Brennan: The Commission for Social Care Inspection, which until April this year was responsible for inspecting and monitoring local authority children' social care, entered on a database information notified by local authorities about cases subject to a serious case review (SCR). As at March 2007, the following figures are given on the database for cases where a SCR has been confirmed (with the SCR being completed or under way):
	
		
			   SCRs (ongoing or completed)  Of which :  notified by London authorities 
			 2000 35 0 
			 2001 45 0 
			 2002 75 17 
			 2003 96 12 
			 2004 88 13 
			 2005 73 10 
			 2006 55 1 
		
	
	It should be noted that, particularly for the later years, the figures may not yet reflect all SCRs because ongoing cases may not have been recorded prior to March 2007. Figures for London are the sum of entries on the database recorded against local authorities within London for each year.

Pupils: Walking

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps the Government have taken to encourage children and their families to walk to and from school, where possible, since 1997.

Jim Knight: In 2003 the Departments for Transport (DfT) and for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) established the joint Travelling to School Initiative to encourage more sustainable travel to school, thereby improving child health and activity levels and reducing congestion and pollution caused by the number of cars on the school run. The primary tool in helping schools achieve a reduction in car travel is the development of a School Travel Plan (STP). This helps to identify specific measures which could reduce the number of car journeys and promote and encourage more walking and cycling to school, or the use of public transport for longer journeys.
	In September 2003 the Departments published 'Travelling to School: An action plan' and 'Travelling to school: a good practice guide'. These outline how schools and local authorities can increase the number of children travelling to school on foot or by other sustainable methods.
	The Government (DfT and DCSF) are providing a total of over 100 million during 2004-08 to help support the development of STPs. This includes 7.5 million each year for local authority based School Travel Advisers who help schools carry out surveys and prepare plans.
	DCSF also allocates capital funding to help those schools upgrade their sustainable travel facilities. Between 2004 and 2007 more than 14,000 schools have developed STPs and been allocated more than 77 million to invest on capital items which promote or enable sustainable travel. We want every school to have a STP by 2010.
	In addition to STPs schools have, for the first time in 2007, been able to apply for DfT funding to establish Walking Buses. 3,231 primary schools have received funding under this scheme in 2007-08 to enable them to set up Walking Buses to encourage children to walk to school.

Schools: Finance

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  if he will amend the methodology for the Basic Needs Allocation to take into account in its funding formula increases in the number of school places required in a locality due to the establishment of new communities;
	(2)  if he will take steps to ensure that local authorities experiencing an increase in the number of school places required in one locality offset by a fall in the number of places required in another locality receive adequate funding under the Basic Needs Allocation to allow for the additional places required in the locality experiencing an increase.

Jim Knight: The Department supports local authorities' responsibilities to provide sufficient pupil places through our strategic capital programmes and the local formulaic programmes. The formulaic allocations take account of each local authority's pupil forecasts, on a district basis where local authorities have them, and taken together allow authorities to respond to the need in their area.
	In addition, in each spending review period, the Department operates the Basic Need Safety Valve which is a mechanism whereby an authority can apply for additional funding to meet the needs arising from exceptional growth where the mainstream allocation is insufficient.

Schools: Sutton

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what  (a) central and  (b) local government funding was available to schools in the London Borough of Sutton in (i) 2004-05 and (ii) 2006-07; and how much funding was passed on to schools in each case.

Jim Knight: In 2004-05 the Schools Formula Funding Share for Sutton local authority was 100 million and budgeted revenue schools grants (central Government funding) were 9 milliona total of 109 million. This funding covers various central services as well as funding delegated to schools. In 2004-05 Sutton local authority budgeted to pass 101.6 million directly to schools.
	In 2006-07 the funding system for schools had changed. Sutton local authority had a dedicated schools grant of 107.4 million and budgeted revenue schools grants of 9.7 milliona total of 116.1 million. 120.7 million was budgeted to be passed directly to schools.
	 Notes:
	1. The data are drawn from the local authorities Section 52 Budget Statements (Table 1) submitted to the Department for Children, Schools and Families.
	2. Schools budget is derived from the total schools budget minus grants. Revenue grants are based on grants allocated to the school at the start of the financial year. Funding passed directly on to schools is the combination of individual schools budget plus revenue grants devolved to schools.
	3. These figures do not represent the totality of education funding in that yearfunding to cover LEA central functions is not included. In addition figures do not include any capital funding allocated to schools.
	4. The revenue funding that individual schools receive via their school budget shares is a matter for individual local authorities to decide locally through their own local funding formulae (subject to satisfying the minimum funding guarantee for schools).
	5. The figures are for all funded pupils aged 3-19 and are in cash terms.

Science: Curriculum

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families for what reasons science is designated a compulsory subject for Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 3 tests; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The focus on English, mathematics and science in the curriculum and assessment at Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 3 reflects the importance of securing a firm grounding in these subjects to the future prospects of young people in education and the world of work.
	Science helps pupils to explore the world around them and understand many things that have relevance to daily life. It is a key element of preparation for life in modern society and is essential to our future economic prosperity.

Scouts and Guides: Shrewsbury

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will meet scout leaders of Monkmoor Scouts in Shrewsbury to discuss a grant for a new scout hut.

Edward Balls: Due to diary commitments I am unable to meet with the scout leaders at Monkmoor Scouts. Officials in my Department will contact the hon. Member to set up a meeting in the near future.

Secondary Education: Class Sizes

David Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the number of year 7 pupils in each English local authority area in each of the next 10 years.

Jim Knight: Estimates for the number of year 7 pupils in each English local authority over the next 10 years are not available centrally. The following table shows the estimated number of year 7 pupils in full-time education in schools in England:
	
		
			  Projected numbers of year 7 pupils (thousand)( 1)  in maintained schools, academies and city technologies 
			  At January aged 11 at previous 31 August  All year 7 pupils 
			 2008 566 
			 2009 576 
			 2010 561 
			 2011 555 
			 (1) Full-time equivalents, counting each part-time pupil as 0.5. The numbers have been rounded to the nearest thousand.  Notes: 1. Pupil numbers in maintained schools includes those in middle, secondary, maintained special schools and maintained Pupil Referral Units. 2. Projections are based on a target of 200 academies by 2011. 3. Projections use 2006 School Census Data and are being updated in November 2007. 
		
	
	Projections are not shown beyond 2011 because of the increasing degree of uncertainty over time.

Shrewsbury Sixth Form College

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  if he will respond to the concerns of teachers of Shrewsbury Sixth Form College on proposals to relocate their college to another part of Shrewsbury;
	(2)  if he will meet the hon. Member for Shrewsbury and Atcham to discuss the proposals to co-locate Shrewsbury Sixth Form College with Shrewsbury College of Arts and Technology College.

Bill Rammell: I have been asked to reply.
	I met with a delegation from Shrewsbury Sixth Form College (SSFC) on 16 July 2007, and listened to the concerns expressed about the proposed co-location of SSFC with Shrewsbury College of Arts and Technology College (SCAT).
	The decision of the colleges to co-locate is entirely a matter for the respective governing bodies. I understand that all options have been carefully appraised, and that the decision to co-locate will allow learners to access world-class facilities and a broader curriculum offer than they could by staying on the current site.
	I understand that numerous consultation meetings have been held with various stakeholder groups over the past three years, including the 'Let's Talk' public consultation held on the 4 October 2006, and the public meeting held on 12 January 2007.

Special Educational Needs Statements

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what his estimate is of the proportion of children with a statement of educational needs as a result of social, emotional and behavioural difficulties.

Jim Knight: Figures from the School Census show that in January 2007 14.3 per cent. of those pupils with a statement of SEN in maintained primary and secondary schools and all special schools in England (excluding academies) had social, emotional or behavioural difficulties as their primary need.

Specialised Diplomas

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will list each course diploma and examination available in year 11 which was considered as having a value of  (a) one,  (b) two,  (c) three and  (d) four GCSEs in each year since 2003; what courses, diplomas and examinations will be available in each year until 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: A comprehensive and accurate answer can be provided only at disproportionate cost. I will write to the hon. Member with as much information as possible in due course.

Teachers: Mathematics

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps he is taking to increase the numbers of qualified teachers in mathematics and science subjects.

Jim Knight: The Government are committed to improving the supply of well-qualified teachers of mathematics and science and make financial incentives available to encourage people to train as teachers of these subjects. In mathematics and science we offer a training bursary of 9,000 to students taking a postgraduate certificate of education (PGCE) and, after successful completion of induction, a golden hello of 5,000.
	We fund the Training and Development Agency for Schools to advertise for recruitment to particular shortage subjects, to provide help and advice telephone lines to potential teacher trainees, and to run pre-training enhancement courses in mathematics, physics and chemistry to enable people without a degree in the subject, but with post-A-level knowledge, to train as specialist teachers in these subjects. There are premia for ITT providers who refer mathematics and science candidates to these courses and who accept them onto the Graduate Teacher Programme.
	We have extended postgraduate teacher training courses to enable providers to offer significant chemistry, physics and mathematics subject knowledge training. The expansion of Teach First planned up to 2009/10 also gives high class graduates the opportunity to teach shortage subjects in challenging schools.
	The Training and Development Agency for Schools is piloting courses to retrain serving teachers as specialist teachers of mathematics, physics or chemistry. The Secretary of State has just announced that, following a recommendation by the School Teachers' Review Body, a 5,000 incentive will be paid to teachers who successfully complete such a course.

Teachers: Nursery Schools

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many specialist qualified early years teachers are in employment in early years settings in England.

Jim Knight: As at January 2007 there were 12,900(1) qualified teachers directly involved with the care of three and four-year-old children.
	The latest figures on early education places for three and four-year-olds in England were published in Statistical First Release 19/2007 Provision for children under five years of age in EnglandJanuary 2007 in May, which is available on my Department's website:
	www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/
	(1) The 2007 information was collected from early years providers as part of the Early Years Census (EYC) data collection exercise and is based on 19,892 out of the expected 20,432 returns.

Teachers: Nursery Schools

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many students are training as specialist early years teachers in England.

Jim Knight: In 2006/07 a total of 5,160(1) students were training to teach in the Foundation Stage and in Key Stage 1.
	Figures for 2007/08 are not yet available.
	(1) Data source: Training and Development Agency for Schools.

TRANSPORT

A11: Road Traffic

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average daily traffic flow was on each section of the A11 in  (a) Suffolk and  (b) Norfolk in each of the last five years.

Tom Harris: The information requested is in the table as follows.
	
		
			Annual average daily traffic (AADT)( 1) 
			  County  A11 section description  September 2002-August 2003  September 2003-August 2004  September 2004-August 2005  September 2005-August 2006  September 2006-August 2007 
			  A11 Northbound   
			 Suffolk A14 to A1101 17,887 18,385 18,955 19,006 19,069 
			 Suffolk/ Norfolk A1101 to A134 11,255 11,648 11,867 11,986 11,990 
			 Norfolk A134 to A1075 11,903 11,908 11,719 11,815 12,062 
			  A134 to A134 14,311 14,391 14,907 14,915 14,871 
			  A1075 to A47 16,900 16,571 15,150 14,780 15,007 
			
			  A11 Southbound   
			 Norfolk A47 to A1075 16,971 17,691 16,136 15,119 15,183 
			  A1075 to A134 11,786 11,895 11,734 11,877 12,096 
			  A134 to A134 14,487 14,471 14,881 14,869 14,821 
			 Norfolk/ Suffolk A134 to A1101 11,330 11,730 11,969 12,298 12,313 
			 (1)Annual average daily traffic flows (AADT), is defined as the average of flows for all days within the year.

Aviation: Safety

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will place in the Library documents or information which her Department, or the Civil Aviation Authority, has in respect of the claim by Flybe's cabin crews that poisonous fumes have been leaking into the cabins of Flybe's fleet of BAE 146 aircraft; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department has received no documents specifically from Flybe cabin crews although we are, of course, aware of concerns about cabin air and have had contact with Flybe management about our plans for research.
	The CAA's mandatory occurrence report scheme (MORs) database contains reports of smoke/fume events submitted by UK operators of BAE 146 aircraft. In accordance with the CAA's regulatory practice these reports do not identify operators or aircraft registration numbers. I am arranging for the papers to be placed in the Libraries of the House.
	In January 2004 the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) reported on fume events involving BAE 146 and other types of aircraft. Please see the link below. The AAIB will continue to investigate reports of all serious incidents.
	www.aaib.gov.uk/publications/formal_reports/1_2004_g _jeak
	I would also refer my hon. Friend to my answer of 25 October 2007,  Official Report, columns 468-9W.

Aviation: Safety

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the Air Accidents Investigations branch plans to investigate claims that  (a) poisonous fumes and  (b) bleed air including toxic particles have been sucked into the cabins of Flybe's fleet of BAE 146 aircraft; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: In January 2004 the AAIB published a comprehensive report of an inspector's investigation into a 'cabin fumes' related incident occurring to a BAe 146 aircraft (registration G-JEAK) during its descent into Birmingham airport on 5 November 2000. The scope of the investigation however was widened considerably when further similar incidents, some involving other aircraft types, were reported. The report made five safety recommendations, to both the CAA and the FAA, concerning preventative measures and future research. Tests and research are continuing at the present time.
	The AAIB have been made aware of 20 events concerning a degradation of cabin air quality occurring to Flybe BAe 146 aircraft since the report was published, four of which have occurred in 2007.
	The AAIB investigate all accidents and incidents falling within the Civil Aviation (Investigation of Air Accidents and Incidents) Regulations 1996. Occurrences falling outside of these regulations are reported using the mandatory occurrence report (MOR) scheme to the Civil Aviation Authority.

Bicycles: Accidents

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps the Government has taken to reduce the number of road traffic accidents involving cyclists since 1997.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Measures to improve road safety for cyclists include providing better infrastructure, promoting cycle training, improved training and testing for motorists and encouraging cyclists to protect themselves, by making themselves conspicuous and by wearing a safety helmet.
	The new edition of the Highway Code, published in September 2007, includes enhanced advice to all road users to look out for and be aware of vulnerable road users, including cyclists. To make drivers more aware of cyclists the theory test question bank contains a large number of questions about vulnerable road users. The screen-based theory test allows the use of digitised video clips to help test hazard perception with moving images, which include cyclists. The practical driving test has been lengthened, providing a greater opportunity for encountering cyclists.
	We have doubled Cycling England's budget to fund additional links to schools and to fund grants to enable more children to receive Bikeability, the new national cycle training standard.
	We concentrate our cycle safety publicity on teenagers and younger children, as these are the most vulnerable groups. We have run various cycle safety campaigns over the last 10 years. Currently, cycling safety messages for younger children are included on the Hedgehogs website including advice and games. Last year we produced an online advertisement for children called 'No helmet, no ride', which encourages children to wear a cycle helmet, which last ran in the summer of this year.
	There is also the cyclesense website aimed at teenage cyclists, giving advice and tips of cycling safety. This year in an MTV/THINK! competition teenagers were asked to come up with ideas for TV commercials about road safety, including cycling, aimed at their peers. This activity ran over five months and the three best ideas were produced as TV commercials and teens voted for their favourite ad online. Invisible, about being seen when out cycling and wearing a helmet, came second.
	The Department's leaflet 'Drive Safe Cycle Safe' also encourages drivers and cyclists to share the road safely. The Department has grant funded a number of projects to improve road safety for cyclists including a RoSPA produced DVD on safety for cyclists and lorries.

Biofuels

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether an EU-US taskforce on biofuels has been set up in accordance with the statement made in the 2007 Budget.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Following the statement in Budget 2007, the UK put forward a set of proposals for consideration on cooperation between the EU and
	US on biofuels.
	A commitment was reached at the EU-US summit in April this year, for the EU and US to work together to develop a set of compatible specifications for pure biofuels, taking into account existing standards; work to promote strategies for sustainable biomass cultivation, including standards as appropriate; establish a roadmap for developing compatible standards for biofuels; continue analysis of biofuel resource assessment; and exchange information on the respective EU-US research agendas on second generation biofuel sources. In addition, the EU and US affirmed their commitment to reach agreement on transatlantic research cooperation under the bilateral EU-US science and technology agreement, which will focus on the development of second generation biofuels.

Biofuels: Animal Products

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what assessment she has made of the potential merits of converting tallow into biodiesel;
	(2)  what estimate she has made of the cost of converting tallow into biodiesel;
	(3)  what assessment her Department has made of the advantage of converting tallow into recycled products; and if she will make a statement;
	(4)  what estimate she has made of the cost of converting tallow into recycled products.

Jim Fitzpatrick: I announced during the debate on the RTFO Order in the Seventh Delegated Legislation Committee on 23 October that the Government would commission an independent review of the likely impacts of the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) on the other UK industries that use tallow as a feedstock.
	The Government will be finalising the scope of, and terms of reference for the review, over the coming weeks. The review will cover the wider environmental advantages and disadvantages, as well as the economic impacts, of using tallow as a biodiesel feedstock. It will be informed by stakeholders from the relevant industries, including the biodiesel, oleochemicals, soap and cleaning products industries, and by other relevant stakeholders. I intend that it should report by April 2008.

British Waterways Board: Finance

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what discussions she has had with her counterpart in the Welsh Assembly Government on the funding of British Waterways; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what discussions she has had with her counterpart in the Scottish Executive on the funding of British Waterways; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: British Waterways is mainly funded by the Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (Defra) in England and Wales and by the Scottish Executive in Scotland.
	The Department for Transport provides funding to British Waterways through the Freight Facilities Grant (FFG) scheme.
	There have not been any discussions between Transport Ministers and their Welsh and Scottish counterparts with regards to the funding of British Waterways.

British Waterways Board: Finance

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether her Department plans to make a financial contribution to British Waterways; whether she has had discussions with British Waterways on funding; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Defra is the single Government sponsor of British Waterways (BW) in England and Wales. It provides core funding towards the upkeep of its waterways. Other Government Departments have the flexibility to fund the inland waterways direct where they can deliver specific policy requirements, eg through grants for regeneration and freight projects where funds are provided to reflect the contribution of inland waterways to departmental objectives.
	Earlier this year, the Department provided BW with Freight Facility Grant (FFG) funding of 1.37m towards the cost of constructing the lock in the Prescott Channel. When complete, the lock will enable the transport of construction materials by water to the Olympic site. BW has also applied for an additional 0.5 million relating to the transport of materials by water to the Stratford City development site. A decision on whether to agree to this additional funding has not yet been made.
	The Department has had no other discussions with BW on funding. However, I understand that Defra and BW were working closely together on planning for the CSR07 period in the context of the Department's overall priorities and financial pressures. Defra is also working with BW on a new long term strategy for a sustainable network that delivers wider government priorities including regeneration, protection of historic and natural environment, well-being and freight.

British Waterways Board: Finance

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what grants her Department provided to British Waterways in each year since 1997; and if she will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: I have been asked to reply.
	Before the creation of the Department for Environment , Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and Department for Transport (DfT) in 2001, policy for transport and sponsorship of British Waterways (BW) rested with the Department for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (DETR). DETR funding provided to BW between 1997 and 2001 is set out as follows:
	
		
			   Amount ( million) 
			 1996-97 51.0 
			 1997-98 51.9 
			 1998-99 53.6 
			 1999-2000 59.0 
			 2000-01 64.9 
		
	
	Since 2001, sponsorship of BW and its core funding has rested with DEFRA. However, earlier this year, DfT provided BW with a Freight Facility Grant (FFG) of 1.37 million towards the cost of constructing the lock in the Prescott Channel. When complete, the lock will enable the transport of construction materials by water to the Olympic site. The grants provided by DEFRA, and the Scottish Executive since 2001 are set out as follows:
	
		
			   Amount ( million)( 1) 
			 2001-02(2) 61.4 
			 2002-03(2) 71.6 
			 2003-04(2) 76.6 
			 2004-05(2) 59.1 
			 2005-06(2) 62.6 
			 2006-07(2) 55.5 
			 2007-08(2) 55.5 
			 (1) DEFRA grant. (2 )Post Devolution.  Note: Table excludes contributions to National Loans Fund

Cycleways: East Midlands

Dennis Skinner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many cycle routes have been established in the East Midlands since 1997.

Rosie Winterton: We do not collect centrally information on cycle routes from local authorities.
	A cycle route is often a combination of different highways such as cycle tracks (off road), cycle lanes (on road) and the local road network. Cycle routes are signed as advisory routes for cyclists often taking them away from the more heavily trafficked roads.
	We have encouraged all local highway authorities to develop local cycle networks as part of their local cycling strategy within their local transport plans and more and more are doing so. Most authorities produce local cycle network maps for cyclists.

Departments: Accountancy

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what departmental budget items have been reclassified, under Consolidated Budgeting Guidance, following Comprehensive Spending Review 2007 decisions; and what the  (a) former and  (b) new (i) classification and (ii) sum budgeted is in each case.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Comprehensive spending review decisions have not led to the reclassification of any of the Department for Transport's spending.

Departments: Civil Proceedings

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many civil law suits have been brought against her Department based either wholly or partially on grounds provided by the Human Rights Act 1998; how many were settled out of court, before a court judgment was delivered; and how much settlements cost the public purse since 1998.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The information requested can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Departments: Consultants

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which private consultancy firms  (a) her Department and  (b) agencies which report to her Department engaged in each of the last three years; which programmes or projects each firm worked on; and what the approximate cost to the Department or agency concerned was of each engagement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Lists have been placed in the Libraries of the House for commissions recorded within the Department and its agencies accounting systems as consultancy for financial years 2004-05, 2005-06 and 2006-07.

Departments: Cost Effectiveness

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will place in the Library a breakdown of her Department's efficiency savings in relation to its Spending Review 2004 (SR04) targets, including  (a) the efficiency projects in the Department,  (b) the date on which they were initiated and  (c) how much each was predicted to contribute to the SR04 target.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department's Efficiency Technical Note (ETN) sets out the projects that have been set up to deliver the Department's efficiency target of 785 million by the end of 2007-08 and create an adequate contingency margin. The ETN is published on the Department's website and a copy has been placed in the Library of the House. All of these projects were initiated either during 2004-05 or earlier. An update on progress against efficiency targets was published in the Department's 2007 Annual Report which has been placed in the Library of the House, and a further update, showing strong progress towards the target, will be contained within the Department's Autumn Performance Report which will be placed in the House Library when it is published later in the year.

Departments: Manpower

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people were employed by her Department on 1 January in each of the last five years; and how many of these staff were  (a) permanent employees,  (b) temporary staff and  (c) contractors.

Jim Fitzpatrick: A breakdown of permanent and temporary/casual employees by Department is published by the Office for National Statistics in Table 6 of the Quarterly Public Sector Employment First Release. For the latest year (31 March 2007) the figures for the Department for Transport are:
	
		
			   Permanent  e mployees  Temporary/Casual  e mployees 
			  31 March 2007   
			 Headcount 19,340 410 
			 Full-time staff equivalents (FTSE) 18,410 380 
		
	
	Prior to this, this information has been collected from the Mandate survey and published in the Civil Service Statistics publication. Statistics have not been collected or published for the reference date 1 January. The reference date of the statistics published for each year is given.
	
		
			   Permanent employees  Temporary/Casual employees 
			  30 September 2006   
			 Headcount 19,610 280 
			 FTSE 18,670 260 
			  1 April 2005   
			 Headcount 17,620 370 
			 FTSE 16,630 310 
			  1 April 2004   
			 Headcount 16,580 450 
			 FTSE 15,760 410 
			  1 April 2003   
			 Headcount 15,380 610 
			 FTSE 14,600 540 
		
	
	Statistics on the number of contractors employed by departments are not published. The civil service statistics represent those employees paid directly from the Department's payroll. Any contractors employed via agencies and so not paid directly by the Department are not included.

Departments: Manpower

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many and what percentage of employees in  (a) her Department and  (b) each (i) executive agency and (ii) non-departmental public body funded by her Department are above state retirement age.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The number and percentage of staff that are above state retirement age in the Department for Transport and its Executive agencies are as follows:
	
		
			  Agency  Number of employees above state retirement age  Percentage of work force 
			 DFT (Centre) 1 0.05 
			 DSA 75 2.8 
			 DVLA 7 0.1 
			 GCDA 12 4.1 
			 HA 5 0.14 
			 MCA 17 1.33 
			 VCA 1 1 
			 VOSA 7 0.28 
			 DFT total 125 0.7

Departments: Official Visits

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on how many occasions she has visited each region in an official capacity in the last 12 months.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Since joining the Department in June 2007, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport has made official visits to London, the South East, West Midlands and North West regions of England. All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code.

Departments: Policy

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what policy changes her Department has implemented since 27 June 2007.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department has implemented a number of new and changed policies since 27 June 2007. We have kept Parliament fully informed of these changes.
	For example:
	the publication of the interim report on the Ports Policy Review on 19 July, about which I made a written statement to the House;
	substantial improvements to the railway as set out in the Rail White Paper (Delivering a Sustainable Railway) on 24 July, which was the subject of an oral statement in the Commons by the Secretary of State on the same day; and
	the Prime Minister gave Crossrail the go-ahead when he announced a 16 billion funding deal had been secured to allow for its construction; the details of which were set out in the comprehensive spending review on 9 October.

Departments: Public Expenditure

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what dates her Department breached its  (a) resource,  (b) near-cash,  (c) administration and  (d) capital budgets since 2001; what the value of each breach was; and what the reason was for each breach.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department for Transport was created in 2002 and since then has not breached its resource, near-cash, administration or capital budgets.

Departments: Public Participation

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many citizens' juries were arranged by her Department since June 2007; which organisations have been commissioned to conduct each citizens' jury; and what the estimated cost is of each exercise.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department for Transport and its agencies have not commissioned a citizens' jury since June 2007.

Departments: Public Participation

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many citizens' juries were arranged for  (a) her Department and  (b) her Department's agencies in each year since 1997; which organisations were commissioned to conduct each citizens' jury; and what the cost was of each.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department for Transport was formed in May 2002, since then the Department and its agencies have not commissioned a citizens' jury.

Departments: Research

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much her Department spent on its rolling programme of customer research in each of the last five years; how much of that was spent on procurement of skills from  (a) external consultants,  (b) polling companies and  (c) other service providers; and what areas were covered in the last year's rolling programme of customer research.

Jim Fitzpatrick: An estimate of the total amount spent on customer research by the Department and its agencies in each of the last five financial years is:
	
		
			   Amount () 
			 2003-04 3,295,768 
			 2004-05 2,123,801 
			 2005-06 2,625,754 
			 2006-07 6,006,483 
			 2007-08 4,510,943 
		
	
	Almost all customer research commissioned by the Department and its agencies is conducted externally by consultants, polling companies and other service providers. However, data on the precise breakdown of spending on each of these groups are not available.
	Areas covered by customer research commissioned in 2007-08 include: service user/customer satisfaction research, public attitude and opinion research in relation to specific departmental policies and communication campaigns, and exploratory research with targeted population groups.

Departments: Secondments

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Lewes of 16 October 2007,  Official Report, columns 971-72, on Departments: secondments, in what teams the seconded members of staff have worked during the course of their secondment.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Secondees in the central Department for Transport and its agencies are working in the following areas:
	Rail and National Networks Group
	Planning and Performance Directorate
	Accessibility and Equalities Directorate
	Chief Scientific Advisor's Unit
	Environment and International Directorate
	Corporate Finance Directorate
	Legal Services Directorate
	Major Projects Directorate
	Road and Vehicle Safety and Standards Directorate
	Aviation Directorate
	Department of Operations, Marine and Coastguard Agency

Departments: Secondments

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Lewes of 16 October 2007,  Official Report, columns 971-72W, on Departments: secondments, when each seconded member of staff joined her Department.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The start date of inward secondees to the central Department for Transport and its agencies are as follows:
	
		
			  Organisation  Start date 
			 Kent Fire Brigade 2004 
			 First Group Plc. 2005 
			 French Transport Ministry 2005 
			 RNIB 2006 
			 Strathclyde Fire Brigade 2006 
			 QinetiQ 2007 
			 Energy Saving Trust 2007 
			 Deloitte 2007 
			 Freshfields 2007 
			 PricewaterhouseCoopers 2007 
			 Swedish Transport Ministry 2007 
			 Civil Aviation Authority 2007 
			 KPMG 2007 
			 Dutch Department for Roads and Waterways 2007

Departments: Secondments

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Lewes (Norman Baker) of 16 October 2007,  Official Report, columns 971-2W, on Departments: secondments, 
	(1)  what measures are in place to ensure that seconded staff do not work on matters which may affect their official employer;
	(2)  what requirements for confidentiality are placed on staff seconded to her Department from outside Government.

Jim Fitzpatrick: As an acting civil servant a secondee owes duties of confidentiality and loyal service to the Crown. These require the secondee to exercise care in the use of information which the secondee acquires in the course of their official duties and to protect information which is held in confidence, in accordance with the department's staff handbook. Secondees are also subject to the Official Secrets Act 1989 and in certain circumstances to The Business Appointment Rules.
	Considerable care is taken when negotiating the secondment terms and conditions to ensure that all parties are content that the secondment will present no opportunity for real or perceived conflicts of interest. These considerations are set out in written terms and conditions which must be formally agreed by the secondee and his/her parent organisation before the secondment can commence.

Departments: Standards

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many of her Department's public service agreement targets  (a) take and  (b) do not take account of rural proofing.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Under the new Public Service Agreement (PSA) framework the Department for Transport will be responsible for leading the PSA 'Deliver reliable and efficient transport networks that support economic growth'. This PSA is specifically focused on the contribution that transport makes to economic growth. Wider priorities for the Government's transport policy are covered separately in other PSA outcomes to which transport is a significant contributor. Where relevant, rural proofing will be taken into account in the development of specific policies to implement the PSA.

Departments: Written Questions

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many and what percentage of questions tabled to her Department for answer on a named day received a substantive reply on the day named in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Between 1 October 2006 and 30 September 2007, 718 named day parliamentary questions were tabled to the Department with 605 (84 per cent.) answered on the date specified.
	My ministerial colleagues and I aim to ensure that hon. Members received a substantive response to their named day question on the named day. Unfortunately, this is not always possible, but the Department for Transport makes every effort to achieve these timescales.

Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) records are incorrect; and how many customer complaints the DVLA has received in the last 12 months, broken down by the regional origin of the complaint.

Jim Fitzpatrick: 33 million vehicle records are maintained at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency. Of these 2.6 per cent. of the vehicle keepers cannot be traced directly from the record. There are 42 million driver records also held at DVLA. 18.5 per cent. of these cannot be traced directly.
	DVLA has a variety of initiatives in place to increase accuracy levels. These are set out in my answer given today to the hon. Lady (UIN 159199).
	Customer complaints are not broken down by region but by the type of enquiry received.

Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency: Databases

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of the accuracy of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority database; and what steps have been taken to improve levels of accuracy of the database.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) conducts Biennial surveys to assess the accuracy of its databases. The last survey, in 2005, estimated that 97.4 per cent. of vehicle keepers could be accurately traced from the record. The figure from the drivers record was 81.5 per cent. The more frequent interactions with motorists on vehicle registration matters are reflected in the figures.
	Drivers and vehicle keepers are required to notify DVLA when changes occur in personal details and vehicle keepership and steps have been taken to enforce and improve this process by:
	Introducing from next year the renewal every 10 years of photocard driving licences;
	Using links to the Passport Agency to help check identity in support of a driving licence application;
	Introducing electronic service opportunities for driving licence applicants;
	Wheelclamping and impounding unlicensed vehicles, which are not released until the keeper provides accurate information;
	A system of continuous registration that requires sellers to notify DVLA when a vehicle changes hands;
	Keeping a database of all undelivered registration documents used to identify incorrectly registered vehicles;
	A requirement to produce documentary evidence of name and address on certain vehicle registration applications at DVLA local offices.

Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency: Telephone Services

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of calls to help lines provided by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency for use by  (a) members of the public and  (b) hon. Members were not answered in the last period for which figures are available; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The most recent period for which figures are available show that 6.6 per cent. of all call attempts were not answered. It should be noted that these calls / customers might have subsequently got through. Detailed breakdowns are not available specifically for hon. Members.

Driving Offences: Fines

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average cost was to issue a penalty charge notice in the last period for which figures are available.

Rosie Winterton: This information is not kept centrally.

Driving Offences: Local Councils

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what guidance her Department gives to councils on  (a) the issuing of penalty charge notices,  (b) the collection of fines and  (c) towing away private vehicles.

Rosie Winterton: Guidance on these matters is given in the Department for Transport's Local Authority Circular 1/95 on Decriminalised Parking Enforcement Outside London. We are currently consulting on new England-wide guidance to replace the 1995 circular and complement proposed civil enforcement legislation under the Traffic Management Act 2004: Parking Policy and Enforcement Operational Guidance to Local Authorities in England. Both documents are on the Department's website at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/?view=Filtert=local+authority+circular+1+95pg=1
	www.dft.gov.uk/consultations/open/betterparking/
	Copies have also been placed in the Libraries of the House.

Driving: Safety Measures

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of the effect of the introduction of the EU directive in December which restricts the numbers of miles drivers can drive without having a rest period; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: A new EU Regulation on drivers' hours (Regulation (EC) 561/2006) setting maximum limits on driving time and minimum requirements for break and rest periods for most drivers of large commercial vehicles came into force on 11 April 2007. It does not restrict the number of miles a driver can drive before taking a rest period.
	The new EU Regulation clarified and simplified the previous 1985 Regulation making it easier to enforce. An assessment of its effect has not been completed as it has only been in force since April.

Fisheries: Compensation

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when she expects payments to commence under the London Gateway Port disturbance payment compensation scheme to fishermen who fish predominantly in the reclamation area.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Details of and the timing of payments under the privately agreed London Gateway Port disturbance payment compensation scheme are a matter for London Gateway Port Ltd.

Freight: Roads

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps she is taking to encourage the migration of freight from road to rail, with particular reference to the  (a) A1(M),  (b) A14 and  (c) A47 major trunk roads; and if she will make a statement.

Tom Harris: The Department provides two grants to encourage the migration of freight from road to rail. The Freight Facilities Grant helps offset the capital cost of providing rail freight handling facilities and the Rail Environmental Benefit Procurement Scheme assists companies with the operating costs associated with running rail freight transport. These grants are not targeted at particular roads but are available to freight flows which would otherwise move by road where rail is more expensive. During 2007-08 these schemes will secure the removal of over 1 million lorry journeys from our roads.

Gateway Reviews

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much her Department spent on carrying out Gateway Reviews in each of the last five years, broken down by budget heading.

Jim Fitzpatrick: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 17 September 2007,  Official Report, column 2191W.

Gateway Reviews

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 17 September 2007,  Official Report, column 2192W, on Gateway reviews, what percentage of the projects which returned  (a) red,  (b) amber and  (c) green upon Gateway reviews have subsequently been successful.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Projects and programmes ordinarily commission multiple Gateway reviews during their lifecycle. These reviews typically reduce the criticality of their recommendations (ie moving from red to amber to green) over time as a project becomes more established and their environment less fast-changing.
	The dynamic nature of a Gateway status makes it impossible to link 'colour' and eventual outcome in the way requested.

Heathrow Airport

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps her Department has taken to model the public health impacts of proposals for Heathrow expansion; whether public health modelling will inform the consultation document on Heathrow Airport expansion; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The focus of our assessment has been on the conditions we laid down in the 2003 Air Transport White Paper for further developmentnamely that it should meet critical noise and air quality limits, both of which we recognise have implications for human health. Our forthcoming consultation will invite views on the evidence brought forward. We have made it clear that we would expect any proposals for future development to be the subject of a health impact assessment at the planning stage.

Heathrow Airport: Departmental Cooperation

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what arrangements are in place between Ministers and officials of her Department and the Home Department to co-ordinate activities at Heathrow Airport, with particular reference to improving conditions for users of the airport.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Ministers and officials of the Department for Transport and the Home Office and airport representatives regularly meet to consider and improve passenger facilitation at Heathrow and other UK airports.

Level Crossings: Death

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people were killed at  (a) pedestrian and  (b) vehicular rail level crossings in each of the last three years.

Tom Harris: The information requested is shown in the table as follows:
	
		
			  Level crossing fatalities 2004-06( 1)  (excluding suicides and trespassers) 
			   (a) Pedestrian crossings  (b) Vehicular crossings  Total 
			 2004 2 15 17 
			 2005 1 13 14 
			 2006(2) 4 4 8 
			 (1) Rail safety statistics are published on a calendar year basis. (2) Data are provisional because Coroner's Inquests into incidents involving level crossings have yet to be concluded.

Level Crossings: Public Footpaths

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will make it her policy to close rail level crossing footpaths where they are  (a) redundant and  (b) assessed as a safety risk and nuisance; and if she will make a statement.

Tom Harris: This is a matter for local authorities and rail infrastructure managers. Section 118A and 119A of the Highways Act 1980 provides for the stopping up by a local authority of a footpath which crosses a railway on the grounds of expedience in the interests of safety of members of the public using or likely to use the footpath. It is for rail infrastructure managers to manage the safety risk at level crossings.

Military Aircraft: Air Conditioning

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps her Department has taken in response to symptoms of tunnel vision, loss of balance and loss of feeling in hands and lower arms reported by the pilots of a BAe 146 on 19 February 2007; and what assessment she has made of the health and safety implications of those symptoms.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) conducted an investigation into an incident involving a German registered Boeing 146 D-AEWB, departing from Birmingham on 19 February 2007. Following the incident, the engine, serial number LF05407AC, was replaced. German authorities received a copy of the report which is published in the July 2007 edition of the AAIB Bulletin and can be found on their website at:
	http://www.aaib.dft.gov.uk/publications/bulletins/july_2007/bae_146_300__d_aewb.cfm
	The independent Committee on Toxicity (COT) recently completed its evidence review of cabin air fume events. Its report, which was published on 20 September, can be found on its website. The COT considered that it was not possible to conclude whether cabin air exposures (either general or following incidents) cause ill-health in commercial aircraft crews. It recommended further work, in particular and as a priority, to ascertain whether substances in the cabin environment during fume events could potentially be harmful to health. COT considered that this work should be designed to detect 'any' potentially harmful substances, rather than focus on named substances.
	In keeping with its commitment to promoting healthy flying, the Department accepts this priority. We have recently been testing equipment which may be capable of capturing substances released during fume incidents. Subject to the results of this testing, the Department hopes to begin a study later this year or early next year.

Motor Vehicles: Accidents

David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what assessment her Department has made of the comparative impact 4x4 and other vehicles have on  (a) other vehicles and  (b) pedestrians when involved in a collision;
	(2)  what assessment her Department has made of the  (a) accident rates and  (b) severity of accidents of 4x4 vehicles in comparison to other vehicles.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department's research shows that occupants of smaller and lighter vehicles may be at more risk of injury than those of larger and heavier ones. The Department has no evidence to differentiate the risk associated between 4x4 vehicles and vehicles of a similar weight or size. The Department is currently working with international partners in developing new tests to reduce the injury risk to occupants of more vulnerable vehicles.
	From October 2005 all light vehicles up to 2.5 tonnes mass have been required to provide pedestrian protection in their design. A second phase of measures is planned for 2010 but the European Commission has recently proposed increasing the scope to vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes mass.
	The Department does not have information on accident rates requested. However, the number of reported personal injury road accidents by accident severity and the involvement of different car sizes in Great Britain in 2005 are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of accidents 
			   Accident severity 
			  Vehicle size  Fatal  Serious  Slight  Total 
			 Small/low sports 53 313 2,742 3,108 
			 Small 692 6,068 52,621 59,381 
			 Small/medium 728 5,710 48,625 55,063 
			 Medium 546 4,160 35,271 39,977 
			 Large 114 755 6,452 7,321 
			 MPV/people carrier 89 832 7,617 8,538 
			 4x4/four wheel drive 102 763 5,722 6,587

Motor Vehicles: Registration

Robert Goodwill: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what percentage of passenger vehicles in England and Wales are estimated to be foreign registered;
	(2)  what estimate she has made of the number of foreign registered passenger vehicles not registered in the UK by migrant workers within six months of arrival; and if she will make a statement;
	(3)  what estimate she has made of the proportion of foreign registered passenger vehicles that belong to  (a) immigrants,  (b) migrant workers and  (c) tourists and other short term visitors; and if she will make a statement;
	(4)  what measures she plans to take to improve the collection of data on foreign registered passenger vehicles entering the UK;
	(5)  what estimate her Department has made of the number of foreign registered passenger vehicles entering the UK in each of the last 10 years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Data about foreign registered passenger vehicles entering the UK, or on UK roads, are not collected. However, a roadside survey is undertaken each year to produce estimates of vehicle excise duty evasion. Data from the survey in June this year will be analysed in the new year to see if a robust estimate of foreign registered vehicles on UK roads can be produced.

Motor Vehicles: Registration

Robert Goodwill: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate she has made of the number of foreign registered passenger vehicles that have incurred  (a) 0 to 10,  (b) 11 to 50 and  (c) 51 and over unpaid penalty charges for decriminalised traffic contraventions; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: This information is not held centrally.

Motor Vehicles: Testing

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on what date she plans to open a consultation on proposals to improve the MOT fee-setting process and the possible deregulation of MOT fees.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department is intending to launch a consultation on MOT testing policy including the process for setting test fees in the next few months.

Network Rail: Cost Effectiveness

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether she plans to meet any of the saving which the 2007 pre-Budget report requires from her Department through efficiency improvements in Network Rail's management processes and cost control and robust and effective franchise agreements by means of increased franchise premia payments from train operating companies.

Tom Harris: The White Paper 'Delivering a Sustainable Railway' of July 2007 (Cmnd 7176) sets out the improvements in safety, reliability and capacity which the Secretary of State wants to secure and the funds available for the railway over the period 2009-14.
	Network Rail is on course to deliver cost efficiencies of 31 per cent. by 2009. Further targets will be set by the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) in the forthcoming Periodic Review 2008. It is for the ORR to determine what further efficiency improvements Network Rail should make.
	The White Paper's statement of funds available shows franchise subsidy falling over the period 2009-10 to 2013-14. This reflects a decrease in the proportion of railway support which is borne by taxpayers rather than passengers. Premium payments are decided through an open market competitive process and the structure of such payments throughout the period of the franchise is agreed at the time of the franchise award.

Private Roads

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many properties in England are on unadopted roads.

Rosie Winterton: We have no record of how many properties in England are on unadopted roads as this information is not held centrally.

Private Roads

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many miles of unadopted road in England there are.

Rosie Winterton: DfT does not hold information on unadopted roads.

Public Transport: Elderly

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will make changes to the draft Local Transport Bill in order to include provision to improve the access of older people to public transport in line with the memorandum submitted to her by Help the Aged.

Rosie Winterton: I welcome the support that Help the Aged have given to the aims of the Bill and have noted the points made in their submission to the draft Local Transport Bill consultation. We are currently analysing responses to the consultation and revising our proposals accordingly. We will be making an announcement in due course.

Railways: Basingstoke

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the projected change in passenger numbers using the rail network between  (a) Basingstoke and London and  (b) Basingstoke and Reading is in each of the next five years.

Tom Harris: Forecasts of future passenger demand were made as part of the preparation for the rail high level output specification. These forecasts used the standard rail industry methodology, and looked at peak flows into major cities and across strategic routes. They were not made on a station to station basis.
	The forecasts are published in the Schedule to Appendix A of the July 2007 rail White Paper 'Delivering a Sustainable Railway'.

Railways: Basingstoke

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate she has made of the change in passenger capacity on the rail network between  (a) Basingstoke and London and  (b) Basingstoke and Reading in each of the next five years.

Tom Harris: The passenger capacity between Basingstoke and London forms part of the requirement for the 9,200 extra peak passengers the Government have specified to be accommodated at London Waterloo by 2014. The passenger capacity between Basingstoke and Reading is part of the 706m extra passenger km the Government have specified to be accommodated on the South West Main Line routes by 2014.

Railways: Finance

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the reasons are for increased premia payments for train operating companies under franchise agreements; and if she will make a statement.

Tom Harris: The Department does not specify the size of the premium offered by bidders as part of the bids for a franchise. It is up to each of the bidders to propose what level of premium to offer as part of their bid. Bidders are first assessed on the robustness of their proposals to deliver the franchise specification to the passenger and subsequently the value for money that their bid offers to the taxpayer.
	If a bidder is unable to demonstrate satisfactorily how it will deliver the franchise service the DFT will not award the franchise to that bidder even if the bidder offers the largest premium.

Railways: Finance

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how she plans to achieve the 1,238 million per year saving at her Department through efficiency improvements in Network Rail's management processes and cost control and robust and effective franchise agreements, as stated in the pre-Budget report and Comprehensive Spending Review.

Tom Harris: The White Paper 'Delivering a Sustainable Railway' of July 2007 (Cmnd 7176) sets out the improvements in safety, reliability and capacity which the Secretary of State wants to secure and the funds available for the railway over the period 2009-14.
	Network Rail is on course to deliver cost efficiencies of 31 per cent. by 2009. Further targets will be set by the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) in the forthcoming Periodic Review 2008. It is for the ORR to determine what further efficiency improvements Network Rail should make.
	The White Paper's statement of funds available shows franchise support falling over the period 2009-10 to 2013-14. This reflects a decrease in the proportion of railway support which is borne by taxpayers rather than passengers.

Railways: Peterborough

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what  (a) percentage and  (b) actual change he expects there to be in numbers of seats on (i) peak and (ii) off peak services from Peterborough to London Kings Cross between December 2007 and January 2009; and if she will make a statement.

Tom Harris: The information requested is as follows:
	 Intercity Services
	National Express East Coast Limited (NXEC) has no current plans to alter the present Monday-Friday peak or midday off-peak services at either the December 2007, May 2008 or December 2008 timetable changes for services from Peterborough to London Kings Cross.
	 First Capital Connect Services (FCC)
	A fleet of new trains is due to be introduced on the Peterborough to London route as part of the final stage of the Thameslink Programme in December 2015.
	FCC, in the meantime, at the December 2008 timetable change will see an extra 16 carriages on London to Peterborough and Cambridge routes. This will allow key peak services to provide additional 1,779 and 2,490 seats in the morning and evening peaks respectively.

Railways: Peterborough

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent estimate she has made of likely levels of overcrowding on the East Coast Mainline Kings Cross to Peterborough line over the next five years; and if she will make a statement.

Tom Harris: Forecasts of future demand to 2014 and of peak crowding were made as part of the preparation for the rail High Level Output Specification. The Government's July 2007 HLOS seeks, among many improvements, additional capacity into Kings Cross sufficient to meet this forecast demand and to ensure peak crowding does not worsen. On 1 November Network Rail intends to publish its Strategic Business Plan setting out how the rail industry proposes to provide this capacity.

Railways: Rolling Stock

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 17 October 2007,  Official Report, column 1094W, on railways: rolling stock, how many extra rail carriages will be introduced in each stage; and on which lines.

Tom Harris: The plan for deployment of the extra carriages in terms of timing, quantity, and route, will be determined in collaboration with the railway industry. This process will start following the imminent publication of Network Rail's Strategic Business Plan, and will continue through to 2014.

Railways: Safety

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions she has had with the Office of Rail Regulation on the safety implications of the use of train whistles at night.

Tom Harris: None. Under health and safety law it is for railway duty holders, specifically infrastructure managers, to decide on the safety implications on the use of train whistles at night. The Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB), the rail industry's own safety body, defines the industry's approach to the use of train whistles at night. In April 2007, responding to public concern, RSSB amended the relevant standard so that
	between 11pm and 7am trains will no longer routinely sound their horns; and between 7am and 11pm, where trains are able to, they will only use the lower tone of the two-tone horn when passing whistle boards.

Railways: South East Region

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consultations have taken place on increasing rail capacity in line with house building planned for the South East regional area.

Tom Harris: Existing and future population patterns were among the issues considered as the department compiled the South Eastern and Southern Regional Planning Assessments for the railway, both of which were published in January 2007. Both documents were produced following extensive discussions with the relevant regional and local authorities.

Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation: Rain Forests

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps she plans to take to ensure that the implementation of a renewable transport fuel obligation does not damage rain forests.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) will include a reporting mechanism under which any transport fuel supplier wishing to earn a certificate for the supply in the UK of any litre of renewable transport fuel will be required to complete a report on the carbon savings associated with, and wider sustainability impacts of, the fuel in question. The Renewable Fuels Agency is expected to publish regular reports highlighting the different performance of different transport fuel suppliers, and allowing consumers to compare the extent to which different suppliers make efforts to source sustainable biofuels. We believe that this will create a very strong incentive on transport fuel suppliers to source only the most sustainable biofuels.
	We have also announced that we aim, from April 2011, to reward biofuels under the RTFO only if the feedstocks from which they are produced meet appropriate sustainability standards, provided that this is compatible with World Trade Organisation rules and EU Technical Standards requirements, and is consistent with the policy framework being developed by the European Commission as part of the review of the existing EU biofuels legislation. We have recently published an informal policy paper (available via http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roads/environment/rtfo/secrtfostake/informalpolicypaper) setting out in more detail how we intend to take this commitment forward.
	In the meantime, the UK Government are also lobbying the European Commission to ensure that the binding sustainability framework for biofuels that is likely to be included as part of the forthcoming Renewable Energy Directive is as robust as possible.

Road Signs and Markings: Expenditure

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  how much was spent on street signs in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how many street signs have been removed since the Manual for Streets launch;
	(3)  how much was spent on removing street signs in each of the last five years.

Rosie Winterton: This Department is responsible for the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions (2002) that prescribe traffic signs and road marking for the use by highway authorities. It is the responsibility of local authorities to install (and remove) traffic signs as necessary to indicate the provision of their local Traffic Regulation Orders. Decisions on what restrictions should be applied (and signed) are a matter for local discretion. There is no central information either on the number of traffic signs installed or removed by authorities nationally and the cost of these measures.

Roads: Canvey Island

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress has been made on the feasibility study into a new access road for Canvey Island; what assessment she has made of the  (a) safety,  (b) congestion,  (c) regeneration and  (d) environmental impacts of providing such an access road; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: The feasibility study for an additional access road to Canvey Island is not at present a matter for assessment by the Secretary of State but one for consideration by the local planning and transport authorities. I am aware that the local highway authority, Essex county council, is continuing its investigation of such a proposed road scheme.
	Should the council decide in principle to promote such a scheme, it would need to obtain the region's agreement to prioritise the scheme for funding within the East of England regional funding allocation for major transport schemes. The council would then need to submit a detailed major scheme business case for the scheme, in line with departmental guidance, for consideration and assessment by the Department.

Roads: Essex

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will place in the Library a copy of the letter which the Highways Agency received from Essex police in support of the 70 mph speed limit at the Asda roundabout approach road A1089 and which is referred to in the letter sent on 21 June 2007 by Francis Cluett, Area Performance Manager, Traffic Operations South East of the Highways Agency to the hon. Member for Thurrock.

Tom Harris: I will be putting a copy in the House Library today.

Roads: Finance

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  how much her Department spent on road  (a) building and  (b) improvements in each of the last 10 years;
	(2)  how much was ring-fenced by her Department for road projects over the last 10 years; and what projects were included.

Rosie Winterton: The available expenditure data do not enable new road construction to be identified as a separate category. Expenditure prior to 2001-02 solely by the Department for Transport is also not available. The total expenditure on road infrastructure in Great Britain by central and local government from 1995-96 to 2005-06, the latest date for which figures are available, is given in the following table together with the figures on English strategic roads from 2002-03.
	
		
			  Investment in road infrastructure( 1) 
			   million 
			   Total Great Britain  Strategic roads in England 
			 1995-96 4,330.0  
			 1996-97 3,958.0  
			 1997-98 3,518.0  
			 1998-99 3,234.5  
			 1999-2000 3,134.3  
			 2000-01 3,390.8  
			 2001-02 3,687.8 607.0 
			 2002-03 3,955.0 735.9 
			 2003-04 3,621.0 438.9 
			 2004-05 4,126.0 611.1 
			 2005-06 4,406.0 753.3 
			 2006-07 (2) 1,116.0 
			 (1) Includes some private investment in road infrastructure, using private public finance contracts. (2) Not yet available.  Note: These figures cover new construction, improvements and structural maintenance and exclude routine maintenance.  Sources: Central and Local Government expenditure in England, Scotland and Wales 
		
	
	Funds are allocated to the Highways Agency annually for major road projects and to local authorities for specific schemes. Details of schemes are available in the Highways Agency's annual business plans and in local transport plan settlement letters issued to local authorities. These documents are available online and also in the Libraries of the House.

Roads: Finance

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much has been allocated to road  (a) building,  (b) improvements,  (c) pricing and  (d) other projects as a result of the Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) 2007; and which projects are the result of CSR 2007 decisions.

Tom Harris: A detailed breakdown of programme budgets within the Department for Transport covering the three years of the CSR has not yet been made; an announcement will be made in due course.

Roads: Tolls

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much her Department has spent on a possible national road pricing scheme; and how many  (a) departmental staff and  (b) external consultants have worked on her Department's road pricing policy.

Rosie Winterton: In response to the first part of the question, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Member for South Thanet (Dr. Ladyman), the then Minister for Transport, to the hon. Member for Epsom and Ewell (Chris Grayling) on 14 June 2007,  Official Report, column 1273W (UIN 141864).
	As for numbers of staff and external consultants working on road pricing, I would also refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 14 June 2007,  Official Report, column 1273W (UIN 141863). There have been minor fluctuations in these numbers with normal turnover of personnel but they remain a fair representation of the size of the road pricing team.

Roads: Tolls

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether her Department plans to take forward lorry road user charging independently of a national road pricing scheme; how much her Department has spent on a possible lorry road user charging scheme; and how many  (a) departmental staff and  (b) external consultants have worked on proposals for lorry road user charging.

Rosie Winterton: I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to the hon. Member for Epsom and Ewell (Chris Grayling) by my hon. Friend the Member for South Thanet (Dr. Ladyman), the then Minister for Transport, on 21 June 2007,  Official Report, column 2114W (UIN 141858) and by the then Financial Secretary, the hon. Member for Wentworth (John Healey) on 25 June 2007,  Official Report, column 521W (UIN141857).

Rolling Stock: Age

David Clelland: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average age is of rolling stock fleet allocated to  (a) each of the current rail franchises and  (b) the Tyne and Wear Metro; and what the expected average age is of such rolling stock by 2013 in each case.

Tom Harris: Details of the current average age of the UK rolling stock fleet by sector are published by the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) in 'National Rail Trends' and available on the ORR website (www.rail-reg.gov.uk). Equivalent figures for 2013 are not available although the Department intends shortly to publish a rolling stock plan. Information about the Tyne and Wear Metro is a matter for Nexus.

Shipping: Radio Frequencies

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on the potential impact of the sale of spectrum access on  (a) British ports and  (b) British shipping and freight companies.

Jim Fitzpatrick: None. However, officials from the Department and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency continue to discuss these matters regularly with officials from DBERR (who, with MOD, jointly chair the UK Spectrum Steering Group) and Ofcom, most recently in the context of the Ofcom consultation, Spectrum Framework Review: The Public Sector.

Taxis: Licensing

Lee Scott: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what estimate she has made of the number of private hire vehicles that will apply for a special restricted PSV operator's licence if Clause 26 of the draft Local Transport Bill becomes law;
	(2)  what discussions she and officials from her Department had with representatives of the licensed taxi or licensed minicab sector before including Clause 26 in the draft Local Transport Bill; and if she will make a statement;
	(3)  how many responses to the consultation on the draft Local Transport Bill, referred to Clause 26 of the draft Bill; and how many of them  (a) supported and  (b) opposed the proposals in the clause.

Rosie Winterton: The decision to include clause 26 in the draft Local Transport Bill was prompted by a recommendation of the Bus Partnership Forum's Innovation and Inclusion Task and Finish Group. The recommendation that holders of private hire vehicle (PHV) licences should be allowed to obtain a special public service vehicle operator's licence to provide local bus services, in the same way as licensed taxis can do already, was seen as giving added flexibility to meet local transport needs, particularly in rural areas.
	In the knowledge that there would be full consultation on the draft Bill, clause 26 was not discussed specifically with the taxi and PHV trades before being included in the draft Bill. We have received a small number of representationsboth for and against the proposal. Those against the proposal referred in particular to the particular circumstances of PHV operation in London. We are now considering all the responses as part of the post-consultation analysis process which will determine the final content of the Bill.
	We have made no estimate of the potential uptake of the proposal, but expect it to be relatively modest (in line with the use made of the existing power for taxis to provide local bus services). The proposal is simply intended to give PHV owners an added flexibility where they see an opportunity to use it. We would expect the provision to be of more value in rural areas where a smaller vehicle might be more cost-effective on a particular route.

Tolls

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps she is taking to ensure the inter-operability of local congestion charging schemes.

Rosie Winterton: The Government intend to ensure that local schemes are interoperable, so that road users who wish to do so can use different schemes with just one account and one electronic fee collection device. The Government hope to encourage all local schemes to facilitate such a situation voluntarily, but the Draft Local Transport Bill includes provisions that would allow the Government to regulate, if necessary, to ensure that this happens in England. Consultation on the draft Bill closed on 7 September and the Department will be announcing its conclusions shortly.

Transport: Finance

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much transport funding made available in the pre-Budget report and Comprehensive Spending Review will be spent on projects which have not yet been announced; and how much funding made available in the Review has been ring-fenced for existing or previously announced projects.

Tom Harris: A detailed breakdown of programme budgets within the Department for Transport covering the three years of the CSR has not yet been made; an announcement will be made in due course.

Waterloo Station

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport to what use the Eurostar platforms and facilities at Waterloo will be put after the opening of the new terminal at St Pancras; and if she will make a statement.

Tom Harris: Officials at the Department for Transport are continuing to work closely with Network Rail and Stagecoach South West Trains (the train operating company) to finalise the design and costs associated with the partial conversion of Waterloo International potentially to accommodate limited domestic passenger services from December 2008.
	Options for the medium to long term use of the platforms are being assessed by officials and Network Rail as part of a wider strategy for the upgrade of Waterloo Station as described in the adjournment debate in March 2007.

TREASURY

Abortion

Linda Gilroy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the ratio of abortion to conception was for  (a) women under 20 and  (b) all women in the two years for which figures are available.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated October 2007:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what the ratio of abortion to conception was (a) for women under 20 and (b) for the whole population for the two most recent years for which statistics are available. (161578)
	ONS routinely publishes figures on the percentage of conceptions leading to abortion by age of woman and not the ratios.
	The table below shows the percentage of conceptions leading to abortion (a) for women under 20 and (b) for the whole population in England and Wales, 2004-2005 (the most recent years for which figures are available). Figures for 2005 are provisional.
	Available figures are estimates of the number of conceptions that resulted in a live birth, stillbirth or legal termination.
	
		
			  Percentage of conceptions leading to legal abortion by age of woman in England and Wales 
			   Percentage leading to legal abortion( 1) 
			  Age at conception  2004  2005( 2) 
			 Under 20 40 40 
			 All ages 22 22 
			 1 Legal terminations under the 1967 Abortion Act. 2 Figures for 2005 are provisional.

Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

Don Touhig: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate has been made of the number of deaths caused by  (a) alcohol misuse and  (b) drug misuse in England and Wales in each of the last five years.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 29 October 2007:
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent question asking what estimate has been made of the number of deaths caused by (a) alcohol misuse and (b) drug misuse in England and Wales in each of the last five years. I am replying in her absence. (161118)
	The latest year for which figures are available is 2006 for alcohol-related deaths. Table 1 below presents the number of deaths from alcohol-related causes in England and Wales for 2002-2006.
	ONS reports annually on deaths related to drug poisoning and drug misuse in England and Wales. The latest available results are for 2005 and figures from 1993-2005 can be found in Health Statistics Quarterly,(1) copies of which are available in the House of Commons Library. The figures are also available on the National Statistics website.(2) Table 2 below shows the number of deaths for which the underlying cause was drug poisoning, where any drug controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act was mentioned on the death certificate, for 2001-2005.
	(1) Office for National Statistics (2007) Report: Deaths related to drug poisoning: England and Wales, 1993-2005. 'Health Statistics Quarterly 33', 82-88. Table 3: Number of deaths related to drug misuse: by sex and country, 1993-2005.
	(2) Data available to download at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/Expodata/Spreadsheets/D7892.xls
	
		
			  Table 1: Deaths from alcohol-related causes,( 1)  England and Wales, 2002-06( 2) 
			   Number of deaths 
			 2002 5,976 
			 2003 6,425 
			 2004 6,488 
			 2005 6,627 
			 2006 6,964 
			 (1 )Selected using the National Statistics definition of alcohol-related deaths. The International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes for the definition are listed below: F10Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of alcohol G31.2Denegration of nervous system due to alcohol G62.1Alcoholic polyneuropathy 142.6Alcoholic cardiomyopathy K29.2Alcoholic gastritis K70Alcoholic liver disease K73Chronic hepatitis, not elsewhere classified K74Fibrosis and cirrhosis of liver (excluding K74.3-K74.5billiary cirrhosis) K86.0Alcohol induced pancreatitis X45Accidental poisoning by and exposure to alcohol X65Intentional self-poisoning by and exposure to alcohol YI5Poisoning by and exposure to alcohol, undetermined intent (2 )Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Deaths from drug misuse,( 1)  England and Wales, 2001-05( 2) 
			   Number of deaths 
			 2001 1,805 
			 2002 1,613 
			 2003 1,431 
			 2004 1,495 
			 2005 1,608 
			 (1 )Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes F11-F16, F18-F19, X40-X44, X60-X64, X85 and Y10-Y14 and where a drug controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 was mentioned on the death record. (2) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year.

Banks

Graham Brady: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether it is his Department's policy to guarantee retail deposits held by UK citizens with banks operating in the UK but which are not British-owned or operating as British subsidiaries.

Kitty Ussher: holding answer 10 October 2007
	 A bank authorised to operate in the UK by virtue of its authorisation by the regulator in an EEA member state with a branch in the UK may elect to participate in the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) if the scope or level (including percentage) of the protection afforded to depositors by the FSCS exceeds that afforded by the deposit-guarantee scheme in its home state. If the bank does not elect to participate in the FSCS or the protection afforded to depositors by its home state deposit-guarantee scheme exceeds that afforded by the FSCS, or the bank does not have a branch in the UK, UK depositors will be protected by the deposit-guarantee scheme in the home member state.
	A foreign bank whose home state is outside the EEA with a branch in the UK will need to be authorised under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 and must participate in the FSCS. UK depositors with a foreign bank from outside the EEA which does not have a branch in the UK will not be protected by the FSCS but may be afforded some protection by any home state deposit guarantee scheme, subject to the provisions of local law.
	A UK subsidiary of a foreign bank which accepts deposits will need to be authorised under the Financial Services and Markets Act and must participate in the FSCS, irrespective of the home state of the foreign owner.

Breast Cancer: East Midlands

Dennis Skinner: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many cases of breast cancer were  (a) diagnosed and  (b) cured in the East Midlands in each of the last 10 years.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 29 October 2007:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many cases of breast cancer have been  (a) diagnosed and  (b) cured in the East Midlands in each of the last 10 years. (161439)
	Numbers of newly diagnosed cases of breast cancers registered in the East Midlands government office region between 1995 and 2004 (the latest year for which figures are available) are given in Table 1 below.
	It is not possible to say whether or not patients are cured. For most cancers, but not breast, five-year survival rates are often taken to be 'cure' rates.
	Long-term Breast Cancer Survival for government office regions, up to 2003 are available on the NS website at http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/Product.asp?vlnk=14172More=n and are given in Table 2 below for the East Midlands.
	Five-year age-standardised relative survival (%) from breast cancer in the East Midlands government office region for patients diagnosed between 1994-96 and 1997-99 and followed up between the ends of 2001 and 2004 are given in Table 3 below.
	
		
			  Table 1: Newly diagnosed cases of breast cancers( 1)  registered in the East Midlands, females, 1995 to 2004 
			   Number 
			 1995 2,489 
			 1996 2,602 
			 1997 2,640 
			 1998 2,784 
			 1999 2,962 
			 2000 2,910 
			 2001 2,874 
			 2002 2,976 
			 2003 3,239 
			 2004 3,521 
			 (1) 'Breast cancer' is defined by codes C50 in the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD 10).   Source:  Office for National Statistics Years 2000-04Table 4 'Cancer Statistics: Registrations, England' series MB1. http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=8843Pos=ColRank=1Rank=272 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Breast CancerPredicted long-term relative survival( 1)  (percentage) for the East Midlands, women aged 15 to 99 years at diagnosis (age-standardised( 2) ) 
			   Number/Percentage 
			 Women 22,159 
			   
			 Deaths 3,158 
			   
			  Duration of survival  
			 One year 94 
			 Five years 80 
			 10 years 70 
			 15 years 66 
			 Women = Number of women included in the analyses. Deaths = Number of deaths occurring among these women during the stated period.  (1) Period approach (2001-03).  (2) Age-standardisation with age-specific weights given by the proportions of women diagnosed with breast cancer in England and Wales during 1986-90 in each of six age groups (15 to 39, 40 to 49, 50 to 59, 60- to 69, 70 to 79, 80 to 99 years).   Source:  Office for National Statistics. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 3: Five-year age-standardised relative survival (percentage) from breast cancer in women aged 15 to 99 for the East Midlands 
			   Survival (percentage) 
			 Patients diagnosed in 1997-99 and followed up to 31 December 2004 77 
			 Patients diagnosed in 1995-97 and followed up to 31 December 2002 73 
			 Patients diagnosed in 1994-96 and followed up to 31 December 2001 74 
			  Source:  Office for National Statistics. http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=11991Pos=2ColRank=1Rank=272

Capital Gains Tax

Richard Spring: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what the net effect on revenues to the Exchequer would have been of reforming capital gains tax taper relief for business assets so that the proportion of gains chargeable was 100 per cent. after two years or less, 90 per cent. after three years, 80 per cent. after four years, 70 per cent. after five years, 60 per cent. after six years and 50 per cent. after seven years or more in the most recent year for which figures are available;
	(2)  what the net effect on revenues to the Exchequer would have been of reforming capital gains tax taper relief for non-business assets so that the proportion of gains chargeable was 100 per cent. after two years or less, 90 per cent. after three years, 80 per cent. after four years, 70 per cent. after five years, 60 per cent. after six years and 50 per cent. after seven years or more in the most recent year for which figures are available;
	(3)  what proportion of the cost of capital gains tax taper relief was due to  (a) business assets and  (b) non-business assets in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Jane Kennedy: The estimated effects on revenues to the Exchequer of suggested reforms to capital gains tax taper relief for business and non-business assets are given in the following table. The estimates are given on the assumption that the new regime had been introduced in April 2007 and take account of the estimated impact of behavioural responses to changes in taxation regime. As the initial behavioural response is assumed to be greater than that in subsequent years, figures are provided for 2008-09 as well as 2007-08. These estimates are calculated on the basis of changes to the current regime and take no account of capital gains tax reforms announced at PBR 2007.
	
		
			  Estimated effect on the Exchequer 
			   million accruals yield/cost(-) 
			  Description of taper relief regime  2007-08  2008-09 
			 Business assets taper 100 per cent. after two years, 90 per cent. after three years, 80 per cent. after four years, 70 per cent. after five years, 60 per cent. after six years, 50 per cent. after seven years or more 1,300 1,500 
			
			 Non-business assets taper 100 per cent. after two years, 90 per cent. after three years, 80 per cent. after four years, 70 per cent. after five years, 60 per cent. after six years, 50 per cent. after seven years or more -400 -400 
		
	
	The split of the existing capital gains tax taper relief by type of asset, consistent with the total figures published in table 7 of the 2007 Tax Ready Reckoner, is as follows.
	
		
			  2007-08  Percentage 
			 Business assets 77 
			 Non-business assets 23

Capital Gains Tax

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost was of  (a) taper relief for (i) business and (ii) non-business assets and  (b) indexation allowance and rebasing to March 1982 in the last year for which data are available.

Jane Kennedy: The information requested was recently published in HM Treasury's tax ready reckoner2007 tax ready reckoner and tax reliefs and is available in the House of Commons Library and on the HMT website.
	The cost of taper relief due to business and non-business assets for 2007-08 is estimated to be as follows:
	
		
			million 
			 Business 5550 
			 Non-business 1650

Capital Gains Tax

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how much was collected in capital gains tax from business assets held  (a) for one year or less,  (b) between one and two years and  (c) for two years or more in the last year for which data are available;
	(2)  how much was collected in capital gains tax on non-business assets held  (a) for one year or less,  (b) between one and two years,  (c) between two and three years,  (d) between three and four years,  (e) between four and five years,  (f) between five and six years,  (g) between six and seven years,  (h) between seven and eight years,  (i) between eight and nine years,  (j) between nine and 10 years and  (k) 10 years or more in the last year for which data are available.

Jane Kennedy: The breakdowns requested are not available. Estimates of the amount of declared gains, before and after taper relief, for business and non-business assets by holding period are available in National Statistics Table 14.9 for tax year 2004-05 on the HM Revenue and Customs website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/capital_gains/menu.htm

Capital Gains Tax

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the effect on revenue of his recently announced  (a) abolition of taper relief for (i) business and (ii) non-business assets,  (b) change in the headline rate to 18 per cent. for (A) business and (B) non-business assets and  (c) abolition of indexation allowance and rebasing to March 1982 in (1) 2008-09, (2) 2009-10 and (3) 2010-11.

Jane Kennedy: The total estimated cost of the reforms announced are published in table 1.2 of the 2007 pre-Budget report. This was arrived at by considering the impact of the various elements of the reform in combination. Since all components are inter-related, it is not possible to break the figures down into constituent parts.

Capital Gains Tax

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the revenue yield from taxing all capital gains at the same rate as marginal income, with a capital gains tax de minimis allowance of 1,000 per annum; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: The revenue yield from taxing all capital gains above an annual exempt amount of 1,000 at income tax rates without applying taper relief and indexation allowance would be of the order of 5 billion, by comparison with the current (2007-08) regime. This is a broad estimate and takes into account the likely taxpayer behavioural responses to the tax change.

Capital Gains Tax

Andrew George: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 12 July 2007,  Official Report, column 1588W on capital gains tax, what assessment he has made of the potential impact that the changes to capital gains tax announced in his pre-Budget report would have on the number of second homes in each of the next 10 years.

Jane Kennedy: The 2007 pre-Budget report announced a reform of the capital gains tax regime for individuals. From 6 April 2008, all disposals that attract capital gains tax will do so at a single rate of 18 per cent. The impact on investment behaviour will depend on the individual circumstances of the investor and economic conditions more generally. The Government continue to monitor such issues.

Capital Gains Tax

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of taxpayers who will pay  (a) higher and  (b) lower capital gains tax (CGT) after the CGT reforms announced in the October 2007 Pre-Budget Report.

Jane Kennedy: The 2007 pre-Budget report announced a reform of the CGT regime for disposals on or after 6 April 2008. The impact on an individual's tax position will depend on their individual circumstances.

Civil Servants: Sandwell

John Spellar: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many full-time equivalent civil servants were employed in Sandwell Metropolitan borough council area in each of the last five years.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 29 October 2007:
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning how many full-time equivalent civil servants were employed in Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council area in each of the last five years. I am replying in her absence. (161273)
	
		
			  Civil service employment2002-06 
			  Full-time equivalents 
			  (1 April unless otherwise stated)  Civil service (Mandate only)Sandwell 
			 2002 610 
			 2003 560 
			 2004 570 
			 2005 550 
			 2006 (30 September) 410 
		
	
	Please note that Civil Service employment statistics are published only at the level of the Government Offices for the Regions. In order to provide the information requested for Sandwell, an ad hoc analysis has been required. This analysis is based on the Mandate survey which currently provides approximately 90 per cent coverage of Civil Service departments and agencies.

Mortality Statistics

David Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many deaths there were in  (a) Southend,  (b) Essex and  (c) England and Wales as a result of being (i) overweight and (ii) underweight in each of the last five years for which information is available.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 29  October 2007:
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many deaths there were in  (a) Southend,  (b) Essex and (c) England and Wales as a result of being (i) overweight and (ii) underweight in each of the last five years for which information is available. I am replying in her absence. (161089)
	The terms 'overweight' and 'underweight' are not normally used in the registration of deaths. Consequently, figures can only be provided for deaths recorded using the medically recognised terms 'obesity' and 'malnutrition' or 'effects of hunger'. The number of deaths so recorded is unlikely to be a complete or accurate reflection of the actual numbers of deaths which result, directly or indirectly, from being overweight or underweight.
	The attached tables provide the numbers of deaths where (i) obesity and (ii) malnutrition or effects of hunger were mentioned on the death certificate, for  (a) Southend-on-Sea unitary authority,  (b) Essex county and  (c) England and Wales, for the years 2002 to 2006 (the latest year available).
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of deaths from obesity,( 1)  Southend-on-Sea unitary authority, Essex county( 2) , and England and Wales( 3) , 2002-06( 4) 
			  Deaths (persons) 
			   Southend-on-Sea  Essex  England and Wales 
			 2002 2 14 726 
			 2003 4 19 888 
			 2004 1 15 901 
			 2005 2 22 993 
			 2006 0 23 1,150 
			 (1) Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) code E66 (obesity). Deaths were included where this cause was mentioned anywhere on the death certificate.  (2) Figures for Essex county do not include Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock unitary authorities.  (3) Based on boundaries as of 2007. Figures for England and Wales include deaths of non-residents.  (4) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Number of deaths from malnutrition and effects of hunger,( 1)  Southend-on-Sea unitary authority, Essex county( 2) , and England and Wales( 3) , 2002-06( 4) 
			  Deaths (persons) 
			   Southend-on-Sea  Essex  England and Wales 
			 2002 0 2 294 
			 2003 0 2 280 
			 2004 1 5 282 
			 2005 0 1 280 
			 2006 0 7 344 
			 (1) Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes E40-E46 (malnutrition) and T73.0 (effects of hunger). Deaths were included where one of these causes was mentioned anywhere on the death certificate.  (2) Figures for Essex county do not include Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock unitary authorities.  (3) Based on boundaries as of 2007. Figures for England and Wales include deaths of non-residents.  (4) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year.

Mortality Statistics: Weather

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the Office of National Statistics will publish the 2006-07 Excess Winter Mortality Statistics.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Dennis Roberts, dated 25 October 2007:
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent question asking when the Office for National Statistics will publish the 2006-07 Excess Winter Mortality statistics. I am replying in her absence. (159726)
	It is anticipated that provisional excess winter mortality figures for the winter of 2006/07 will be published on the National Statistics website on 28(th) November 2007. This will shortly be confirmed in the National Statistics Release Calendar.

Departments: Assets

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what departmental assets are planned to be sold in each financial year from 2007-08 to 2010-11; what the  (a) description and  (b) book value of each such asset is; and what the expected revenue from each such sale is;
	(2)  in which financial years since 2001 his Department's outturn for its capital budget at the end of the year was less than planned at the beginning of the year; and what the  (a) value and  (b) reason for the underspend was in each case.

Andy Burnham: The Treasury Group's Asset Management Strategy, due to be published in December as part of its response to the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review, will provide details.
	The definitive figures for final provision and provisional outturn are published each year in the Public Expenditure Outturns White Paper. Changes to plans arising in-year are published in Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses, as are differences between provisional and final outturns. The asset disposals referred to have led to underspends against the capital budget in 2001-02, 2002-03, 2004-05 and 2005-06, as follows. See also table 7.6 in the Treasury's 2006-07 annual report and accounts.
	
		
			   Final provision  Final outturn  Reason for underspend 
			 2001-02 17 -32 Sale of Marsham Street, London SW1 for 42 million 
			 2002-03 149 59 Sales of Burtonwood, near Warrington, Ashley House Monck Street, London and Brockley Hill, Stanmore, Middlesex for 74 million, and shareholdings in privatised utilities for 14 million 
			 2004-05 8 -20 Sales of 100 Parliament Street for 22 million and of Whitehall Systems to OGCbuying.solutions for 3 million (net of loan advanced) 
			 2005-06 5 -9 Sale of Honeypot Lane, Stanmore, Middlesex, for 13 million

Departments: Civil Proceedings

David Davis: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many civil law suits have been brought against his Department based either wholly or partially on grounds provided by the Human Rights Act 1998; how many were settled out of court, before a court judgment was delivered; and how much such settlements cost the public purse since 1998.

Angela Eagle: The information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Departments: Disabled

Danny Alexander: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which buildings occupied by his Department  (a) are and  (b) are not fully accessible to disabled people; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: All the main areas of the Treasury are fully accessible to disabled people.

Departments: Fish

Norman Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  which companies have contracts to supply his Department with fish; and when those contracts will end;
	(2)  what consideration his Department has given to introducing a sustainable seafood procurement policy;
	(3)  what quantity of cod from the North Sea or Eastern Baltic was procured by his Department in 2006.

Angela Eagle: None.
	Fish served in the Treasury restaurant facilities in 1 Horse Guards Road and 100 Parliament Street are supplied by the catering sub-contractor employed by the PFI provider.

Departments: General Elections

Daniel Rogerson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what contingency preparations his Department made for the possibility of a general election in autumn 2007; and what the cost was of those preparations.

Angela Eagle: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Parliamentary Secretary to the Cabinet Office on 15 October 2007,  Official Report, columns 822-23W.

Departments: ICT

Danny Alexander: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many IT contracts were put out to competitive tender by his Department in  (a) 2006-07,  (b) 2005-06,  (c) 2004-05,  (d) 2003-04,  (e) 2002-03 and  (f) 2001-02; how many companies tendered in each case; and which company won each tender.

Angela Eagle: The information requested can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The Treasury awards all contracts in accordance with government procurement rules, which state that all IT contracts in excess of 2,500 should be subject to competition.

Departments: Internet

Norman Baker: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many websites his Department operates; how many it operated at 1 January 2005; and what the estimated annual cost has been of running his Department's websites in the last five years;
	(2)  how many hits the  (a) most and  (b) least popular website run by his Department has received since 1 January 2007.

Angela Eagle: The Chancellor's Department currently operates 13 websites. On 1 January 2005 it operated seven websites.
	The estimated annual costs are as follows:
	
		
			  Financial year  Cost () 
			 2006-07 247,764 
			 2005-06 120,927 
			 2004-05 218,306 
			 2003-04 291,785 
			 2002-03 140,634 
		
	
	For further detail, including costs of running the websites in the last five years, I refer the hon. Member to the answers given on:
	11 June 2007,  Official Report, column 828W
	25 July 2006,  Official Report, column 1352W
	10 October 2005,  Official Report, column 285W
	24 June 2004,  Official Report, column 1470W
	14 April 2003,  Official Report, column 548W
	22 October 2002,  Official Report, column 219W.
	The HM Treasury departmental website received 2,006,336 'unique' visits since 1 January 2007, making it the most popular website run by the Chancellor of the Exchequer's Department.
	The Financial Inclusion Taskforce website received the fewest visits with 4,850.

Departments: Manpower

Norman Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people were employed by his Department on 1 January in each of the last five years; and how many of these staff were  (a) permanent employees,  (b) temporary staff and  (c) contractors.

Angela Eagle: Between 1 January 2005 and 1 January 2007, HM Treasury cut around 150 posts as a result of their SR 04 settlement. However, this has been offset by a similar number of posts being transferred into the Treasury as machinery of Government changes in that period, including responsibility for the Prime Minister's Delivery Unit, the efficiency programme, and corporate services posts from elsewhere in the Treasury Group.
	The number of people employed by HM Treasury on 1 January in each of the last five years is as follows:
	
		
			   Total  Permanent  Temporary 
			  At a 1 January each year
			 2007 1,134 1,064 70 
			 2006 1,130 949 81 
			 2005 1,129 1,051 78 
			 2004 1,084 999 85 
			 2003 1,032 953 79 
		
	
	Figures for contractors' staff are not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Departments: Manpower

Andrew Selous: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many and what percentage of employees in  (a) his Department and  (b) each (i) executive agency and (ii) non-departmental public body funded by his Department are above state retirement age.

Angela Eagle: The information for the Chancellors Departments and agencies is given in the following table.
	
		
			  Department  Employees  Percentage of total staff 
			 Debt Management Office 0 0 
			 Government Actuary's Department 1 0.9 
			 OGC Buying Solutions 6 2.12 
			 OGC 3 1 
			 Office for National Statistics 50 1.38 
			 HM Revenue and customs 1,587 2 
			 HM Treasury 0 0 
			 National Savings and Investment 0 0 
			 Royal Mint 1 0.17 
			 Valuation Office Agency 71 1.5 
			  Note: Based on staff numbers as at 30 September 2006. 
		
	
	The information for non-departmental public bodies is not available.

Departments: Ministerial Policy Advisers

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the name is of each special adviser in his Department.

Angela Eagle: The annual list of special adviser names will be published shortly.

Departments: Orders and Regulations

Alan Duncan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many statutory instruments were laid before Parliament by his Department between 2 May 1997 and 27 June 2007.

Angela Eagle: Information relating to statutory instruments laid by individual Departments is available on the website of the Office of Public Sector Information:
	www.opsi.gov.uk

Departments: Public Expenditure

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what dates his Department has breached its  (a) resource,  (b) near-cash,  (c) administration and  (d) capital budgets since 2001; what the value of the breach was; and what the reason was for each breach.

Andy Burnham: None of the Treasury's control totals were breached in the years between 2001-02 and 2006-07. Details of provisional outturn against final control limits are published each year in the Public Expenditure Outturn White Paper. The references for these Command Papers for the years between 2001-02 and 2006-07 inclusive are 5574, 5884, 6293, 6639, 6883 and 7156.

Departments: Retirement

Andrew Selous: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many employees in  (a) his Department and  (b) each (i) executive agency and (ii) non-departmental public body funded by his Department applied to continue to work beyond state retirement age in the latest year or part thereof for which figures are available; and how many of those applications were successful.

Angela Eagle: The information for the Chancellor of the Exchequer's Departments and Agencies is listed as follows:
	
		
			  Department  Applied to work beyond state retirement age  Application successful 
			 HM Treasury 3 3 
			 Debt Management Office 0 0 
			 OGC Buying Solutions 1 1 
			 OGC 5 5

Departments: Road Traffic Offences

Norman Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many fixed penalty tickets were incurred by vehicles within the purview of his Department in the last year for which figures are available; and what the total cost was.

Angela Eagle: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Minister for Transport (Jim Fitzpatrick) on 18 October 2007,  Official Report, columns 1185-86W, on the cost of fixed penalty tickets incurred by the Government Car and Dispatch Agency (GCDA). The Treasury has no vehicles other than the cars supplied by GCDA.

Departments: Written Questions

Mark Harper: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many and what percentage of Questions tabled to his Department for answer on a named day received a substantive reply on the day named in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Angela Eagle: Of the 739 questions for named day answer tabled to the Treasury in the present parliamentary session, 523 (70.8 per cent.) were answered substantively on the day nominated by the questioner.

Diabetes: Death

David Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many deaths there were in  (a) Southend,  (b) Essex and  (c) England and Wales as a result of diabetes in each of the last five years for which information is available.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 29 October 2007:
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many deaths there were in  (a) Southend,  (b) Essex and  (c) England and Wales as a result of diabetes in each of the last five years for which information is available. I am replying in her absence.
	(161090)
	The attached table provides the number of deaths where diabetes (i) was the underlying cause of death and (ii) was mentioned on the death certificate, either as the underlying cause or as a contributing factor, in  (a) Southend-on-Sea unitary authority,  (b) Essex county and  (c) England and Wales, for 2002 to 2006 (the latest year available).
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of deaths from diabetes,( 1' 2)  Southend-on-Sea unitary authority, Essex county( 3) , and England and Wales( 4) , 2002-06( 5) 
			  Deaths (persons) 
			   Southend-on-Sea  Essex  England and Wales 
			   (i) Underlying cause  (ii) Any mention  (i) Underlying cause  (ii) Any mention  (i) Underlying cause  (ii) Any mention 
			 2002 25 77 178 614 6,183 25,954 
			 2003 15 72 140 571 6,312 27,015 
			 2004 24 77 131 585 5,846 26,618 
			 2005 17 64 138 601 5,652 27,913 
			 2006 17 65 143 670 5,491 28,728 
			 (1) Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes E10-E14 (diabetes mellitus).  (2) Figures shown as 'any mention' (column ii) include those where diabetes was recorded as the underlying cause (column (i)).  (3) Figures for Essex county do not include Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock unitary authorities.  (4) Based on boundaries as of 2007. Figures for England and Wales include deaths of non-residents.  (5) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year.

Duty Free Allowances: Europe

David Anderson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the personal import allowances are for tobacco and alcohol being brought from new member states of the EU into the UK.

Jane Kennedy: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given on 25 October 2007,  Official Report, columns 576-77W.

Energy: Government Departments

Colin Challen: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what guidance is made available to departments on using departmental funding for energy-saving measures;
	(2)  what steps have been taken by his Department to simplify the process for departmental expenditure on energy-saving measures.

Phil Woolas: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government published their Sustainable Procurement Action Plan in March 2007, aimed at moving towards a low carbon, resource efficient public sector. Guidance on energy efficiency in procurement is being reviewed as part of work on the Energy Services Directive, which must be implemented by May 2008.
	Financial support is available to Departments through Salix Finance, a revolving loan scheme that can be used to invest in cost effective energy efficiency projects in the public sector.

Equitable Life Assurance Society

Gordon Banks: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to respond to the final approved report on the collapse of Equitable Life issued by the investigating Committee of the European Parliament on 9 May and approved by the European Parliament on 19 June; and if he will make a statement.

Kitty Ussher: It would not be appropriate for the Government to comment on the European Parliament Committee of Inquiry's report on Equitable Life, before the Parliamentary Ombudsman's continuing investigation into the prudential regulation of Equitable Life is complete and her report published.

EU Internal Trade

Bob Spink: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the value of trade between EU member states was in real terms in  (a) the year before the introduction of the euro and  (b) each year since.

Kitty Ussher: The Eurostat publication External and intra-European Union tradeStatistical yearbookData 1958-2005 provides comprehensive detail on the value and volume of intra-EU goods trade.
	http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/cache/ITY_OFFPUB/KS-CV-06-002/EN/KS-CV-06-002-EN.PDF

European Central Bank

Harry Cohen: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much the European Central Bank allocated to help banks or other share companies or institutions during the recent share market downturn; and what the UK's contribution was for this purpose.

Kitty Ussher: The United Kingdom is not a member of the euro area and played no role in open markets operations which are a matter for Europe Central Bank, including providing any funding.

Excise Duties: Motorcycles

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much revenue was raised through vehicle excise duty on motorcycles in each year since 1997.

Angela Eagle: In unadjusted cash terms the amount of revenue raised was as follows:
	
		
			  Financial year  Revenue ( million) 
			 1997-98 32.1 
			 1998-99 35.3 
			 1999-2000 39.7 
			 2000-01 40.57 
			 2001-02 46 
			 2002-03 44 
			 2003-04 45.3 
			 2004-05 45.6 
			 2005-06 47.6 
			 2006-07 50.8

Financial Services: EC Law

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library copies of the response of  (a) the Bank of England and  (b) the Financial Services Authority to the consultation on the implementation of the EU Market Abuses Directive.

Kitty Ussher: holding answer 19 October 2007
	The consultation on the UK implementation of the EU market abuse directive was carried out jointly by the FSA and HMT. There were over 30 responses to the consultation. A feedback statement available on the HMT website summarises the main points raised in the consultation process.

Foreign Workers: Bulgaria

Keith Vaz: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his estimate is of the contributions made to the UK's gross domestic product by  (a) Romanian and  (b) Bulgarian migrant workers in each year since 2005.

Angela Eagle: The latest official statistics (April to July 2007) show workers from the A10 member states in Eastern Europe made up 1.6 per cent. of UK employment, and contributed around 1.1 per cent. of the economy. However, it is not possible to accurately identify the size of the contribution to the UK's gross domestic product from Bulgarian and Romanian migrants, since the number of migrants from these countries in the UK labour force is relatively small.
	As the Government reported in a recent interdepartmental submission to the House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee,
	immigration has clear benefits for both the labour market and economy as a whole (p11)(1).
	(1) A copy of the report can be found on the internet at the following address: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/documents/economic-impact-of-immigration

Foreign Workers: Bulgaria

Keith Vaz: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the contributions made by Romanian and Bulgarian workers to the UK economy since 2005.

Angela Eagle: The latest official statistics (April to July 2007) show workers from the A10 member states in Eastern Europe made up 1.6 per cent. of UK employment, and contributed around 1.1 per cent. of the economy. However, it is not possible to accurately identify the size of the contribution to the UK economy made by Bulgarian and Romanian migrants since the number of migrants from these countries in the UK labour force is relatively small.
	As the Government reported in a recent interdepartmental submission to the House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee,
	immigration has clear benefits for both the labour market and economy as a whole (p11)(1).
	(1) A copy of the report can be found on the internet at the following address: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/documents/economic-impact-of-immigration

Income Tax: Tax Rates and Bands

Jeff Ennis: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many taxpayers have experienced a reduction in income following the removal of the 10p income tax band.

Jane Kennedy: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the right hon. Member for Birkenhead (Mr. Field) on 18 October 2007,  Official Report, column 1266W, and the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, the then Economic Secretary to the Treasury on 25 June 2007,  Official Report, column 384W.

Inheritance Tax

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the income gains by each income decile resulting from the changes to inheritance tax announced in the October 2007 pre-Budget report; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the additional annual costs of raising the inheritance tax exempt amount to 1 million per person; what the income gains would be for each income decile; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: No such estimates have been made.
	All inheritance tax-paying estates both before and after the October 2007 pre-Budget report are from those within the top wealth decile.

Inheritance Tax: Greater London

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what recent estimate he has made of the amount raised from inheritance tax in  (a) each London constituency and  (b) each Government region in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what recent estimate he has made of the number of  (a) people who died and  (b) estates which were subject to inheritance tax in (i) each London constituency and (ii) each Government region in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: Regional and local annual figures for inheritance tax receipts and estates paying inheritance tax are not normally available.
	However, a special sampling exercise was undertaken of taxpaying estates of people who died in 2001 and 2002 which suggested that about 40 per cent. of taxpayers, accounting for half of inheritance tax, resided in London and the South East (footnote to table 12.6 on the HM Revenue and Customs website:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/inheritance_tax707ir126.pdf

Joint Ministerial Committee on Child Poverty

Danny Alexander: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the Joint Ministerial Committee on Child Poverty will next meet; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: There are a number of other forums in which the Government and the devolved Administrations have discussed child poverty. In the last two years, officials have met at regular intervals.
	The CSR reconfirmed the Government's commitment to the target of halving child poverty by 2010, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer will meet with the Secretaries of State for Children, Schools and Families and for Work and Pensions to oversee this PSA in the coming months.

Life Expectancy: East Midlands

Dennis Skinner: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the life expectancy is of  (a) men and  (b) women in (i) the East Midlands and (ii) the South East; and what it was in (A) 1996 and (B) 2000.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 29 October 2007:
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent question asking what the life expectancy is of (a) men and (b) women in (i) the East Midlands and (ii) the South East; and what it was in (A) 1996 and (B) 2000. I am replying in her absence. (161449)
	Life expectancy figures are calculated as three year rolling averages. The tables below provide the period life expectancy at birth for (a) men and (b) women in (i) the East Midlands and (ii) the South East government office regions, for 1995-97, 1999-2001 and 2003-05 (the latest period available).
	
		
			  Table 1: Period life expectancy at birth( 1) , East Midlands and South East Government office regions, 1995-97,1999-2001 and 2003-05( 2) , males and females 
			  Years of life 
			   East Midlands  South East 
			   Males  Females  Males  Females 
			 1995-97 75 80 76 81 
			 1999-2001 76 80 77 81 
			 2003-05 77 81 78 82 
			 (1) Period life expectancy at birth is an estimate of the average number of years a newborn baby would survive if he or she experienced the area's age-specific mortality rates for that time period throughout his or her life. The figure reflects mortality among those living in the area in each time period, rather than mortality among those born in each area. It is not therefore the number of years a baby born in the area in each time period could actually expect to live, both because the death rates of the area are likely to change in the future and because many of those born in the area will live elsewhere for at least some part of their lives. (2) Three-year rolling averages, based on deaths registered in each year and mid-year population estimates.

Lloyds TSB

Richard Spring: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what meetings he and his Ministers have had with representatives of Lloyds TSB in the last two months;
	(2)  on what date the Treasury received a document stating that Lloyds TSB had agreed to purchase Northern Rock; and whether this document had been agreed by the Bank of England and the Financial Services Authority;
	(3)  whether his Department overruled an agreement between Lloyds TSB and Northern Rock on the sale of Northern Rock;
	(4)  whether his Department provided information to Baroness Vadera on the proposed sale of Northern Rock to Lloyds TSB;
	(5)  whether  (a) he and  (b) Ministers from his Department have had meetings with Baroness Vadera to discuss Northern Rock.

Kitty Ussher: No firm proposal for purchase of Northern Rock plc was received from Lloyds TSB or any other bidder. Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings.

Long Term Unemployed: Gwent

Don Touhig: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people were  (a) long-term unemployed and  (b) long-term youth unemployed in Islwyn in each of the last 10 years.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 29 October 2007:
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about long-term unemployment in Islwyn constituency for the last 10 years. I am replying in her absence. (161120)
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles statistics of unemployment for local areas from the annual local area Labour Force Survey (LFS) and the Annual Population Survey (APS) following International Labour Organisation definitions.
	Table 1 provides estimates of the levels of people in long-term unemployment and for those aged 16-24, resident in the Islwyn constituency. Estimates are provided from the local area LFS for the 12 months ending in February, for 1999 to 2004 and from the APS for the 12 months ending in March for 2005 to 2007.
	Estimates for a subset of the population in a small geographical area are based on very small sample sizes, and are therefore subject to large margins of uncertainty.
	ONS also compiles statistics for local areas of people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA). Table 2 shows the annual average number of long-term JSA claimants and for those aged 18-24, resident in the Islwyn constituency for 1997 to 2006.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of long-term unemployed people resident in Islwyn constituency 
			  Thousand 
			  12 months ending  Aged 16 and over  Aged 16-24 
			 February 1998 (1) (1) 
			 February 1999 (2) (2) 
			 February 2000 (2) (2) 
			 February 2001 1 (2) 
			 February 2002 (3) (2) 
			 February 2003 (3) (2) 
			 February 2004 (3) (2) 
			 March 2005 1 (2) 
			 March 2006 1 (3) 
			 March 2007 (3) (2) 
			 (1) Not available.  (2) Sample size too small to provide estimates.  (3) Less than 500 people.   Note s :  1. Estimates are subject to random variability.  2. Changes in the estimates over time should be treated with particular caution.   Source:  Annual local area Labour Force Survey; Annual Population survey. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Annual average number of long-term JSA claimants resident in Islwyn constituency 
			   Aged 18 and over  Aged 18-24 
			 1997 335 60 
			 1998 205 30 
			 1999 195 5 
			 2000 170 0 
			 2001 150 0 
			 2002 125 0 
			 2003 125 0 
			 2004 115 5 
			 2005 155 15 
			 2006 170 30 
			  Note s : 1. Claimant count data by age includes computerised claims only.  2. Dataset rounded to the nearest 5.   Source:  Jobcentre Plus Administrative system.

Manufacturing Industries: Manpower

Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 8 October 2007,  Official Report, column 228W, on manufacturing industries: manpower, how many people of each  (a) five year age cohort and  (b) gender were employed in the manufacturing industries as a proportion of the working age population in each local authority area in each year for which figures are available.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 29 October 2007:
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about the proportion of the working-age population employed in manufacturing industries in each local authority area. I am replying in her absence. (161391)
	Tables giving the information requested have been placed in the House of Commons Library. The figures in the tables are estimates from the Annual Local Area Labour Force Survey, for the twelve months ending in March of each year from 1996 to 2007.
	As with any sample survey, estimates from the Labour Force Survey are subject to a margin of uncertainty.

Members: Correspondence

Greg Pope: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for what reasons his Department estimates that it will take three months to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Hyndburn in relation to the tax credits of his constituent Miss Lisa M. Barnes.

Jane Kennedy: Following the administrative issue I referred to in my statement of 25 July 2007,  Official Report , columns 62-63WS, some parts of HMRC's tax credits business have, unfortunately, been subject to delays. HMRC regret this and will continue to try to deal with all cases as quickly as they can.
	These delays are a result of HMRC having to look again at cases potentially affected by the procedural error and to ensure that households/individuals affected by the error are not given incorrect advice in advance of their award being reviewed.
	The three months indicated in the recent letter to the hon. Member was intended to be helpful and indicate the latest date by which HMRC hoped to have resolved the inquiry.

Members: Correspondence

Greg Pope: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for what reasons his Department estimates that it will take three months to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Hyndburn in relation to the tax credits of his constituent Mrs. Ayesha Ejaz.

Jane Kennedy: HM Revenue and Customs replied to my hon. Friend's recent letter about his constituent on 26 October 2007.
	Following the administrative issue I referred to in my statement of 25 July 2007,  Official Report, columns 62-63WS, some parts of HMRC's tax credits business have, unfortunately, been subject to delays. HMRC regret this and will continue to try to deal with all cases as quickly as they can.
	These delays are a result of HMRC having to look again at cases potentially affected by the procedural error and to ensure that households/individuals affected by the error are not given incorrect advice in advance of their award being reviewed.
	The three months indicated in the recent letter to the hon. Member was intended to be helpful and indicate the latest date by which HMRC hoped to have resolved the inquiry.

Members: Correspondence

Greg Pope: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for what reason his Department estimates that it will take five months to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Hyndburn in relation to the tax credits of his constituent Mrs. Patricia E. Batt.

Jane Kennedy: HM Revenue and Customs replied to my hon. Friend's letter about his constituent on 26 October 2007 and regret the delay in doing so.
	Following the administrative issue I referred to in my statement of 25 July 2007,  Official Report, columns 62-63WS, some parts of HMRC's tax credits business have, unfortunately, been subject to delays. HMRC regret this and will continue to try to deal with all cases as quickly as they can.
	These delays are a result of HMRC having to look again at cases potentially affected by the procedural error and to ensure that households/individuals affected by the error are not given incorrect advice in advance of their award being reviewed.
	The three months indicated in the recent letter to the hon. Member was intended to be helpful and indicate the latest date by which HMRC hoped to have resolved the inquiry.

Members: Correspondence

John Penrose: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects to reply to the letters of  (a) 23 July 2007,  (b) 12 September 2007 and  (c) 9 October 2007 from the hon. Member for Weston-Super-Mare on the Youth Parliament and the Youth Opportunity Fund.

Andy Burnham: I replied to the hon. Member on 25 October.

Methadone: Death

John Mann: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many deaths there were where methadone was the major contributory factor in each of the last 10 years.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 29 October 2007:
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many deaths there were where methadone was the major contributory factor in each of the last 10 years. I am replying in her absence. (161220)
	ONS reports annually on deaths related to drug poisoning in England and Wales. Where more than one drug is mentioned on the death certificate it is not always possible to tell which of them was primarily responsible for the death. ONS therefore publishes the total number of deaths where methadone was mentioned on the death certificate, the number of these deaths which also mentioned alcohol, and the number where methadone was the only drug mentioned.
	Latest available results are for 2005 and figures from 1993 to 2005 can be found in Health Statistics Quarterly,(1) copies of which are available in the House of Commons Library. The figures are also available on the National Statistics website.(2) The table below shows the number of deaths from 1996 to 2005 for drug-related poisonings where methadone was mentioned on the death certificate, where alcohol was also mentioned, and where methadone was the only drug mentioned.
	(1) Office for National Statistics (2007) Report: Deaths related to drug poisoning: England and Wales, 1993-2005. Health Statistics Quarterly 33, 82-88. Table 2: Number of deaths where selected substances were mentioned on the death certificate.
	(2) Data available to download at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/Expodata/Spreadsheets/D7892.xls
	
		
			  Deaths from drug-related poisoning( 1)  where methadone was mentioned on the death certificate, mentioned with alcohol, or was the only drug mentionedEngland and Wales, 1996-2005( 2) 
			   All mentions of methadone  All mentions of methadone with alcohol  Methadone mentioned alone 
			 1996 322 69 189 
			 1997 437 100 288 
			 1998 398 85 230 
			 1999 336 92 178 
			 2000 269 70 150 
			 2001 244 86 126 
			 2002 199 59 91 
			 2003 201 71 74 
			 2004 219 70 105 
			 2005 220 87 98 
			 (1) Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) codes 292, 304, 305.2-305.9, E850-E858, E950.0-E950.5, E980.0-E980.5 and E962.0 for the years 1996 to 2000, and Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes F11-F16, F18-F19, X40-X44, X60-X64, X85 and Y10-Y14 for 2001 onwards. (2) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year.

National Insurance Contributions

Steve Webb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the Inland Revenue instituted the practice of issuing deficiency notices; to which individuals such notices were issued; whether individuals who did not pay national insurance contributions for a prolonged period were eventually excluded from receipt of deficiency notices; how many individuals were so excluded before 1996-97; whether women paying the married woman's reduced rate were excluded from deficiency notices; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: Deficiency Notices are targeted at people in the workforce who have incomplete national insurance records for any tax year.
	The Inland Revenue (and subsequently HM Revenue and Customs) have issued Deficiency Notices since 1999. Prior to 1999 the process of issuing Deficiency Notices was undertaken by the former Contributions Agency.
	Deficiency Notices are not issued to individuals where they have not made national insurance contributions or received a credit for two consecutive years. Details about exclusions from Deficiency Notices issued before 1996-97 are not readily available.
	Women paying the married woman's reduced rate do not receive Deficiency Notices.

Northern Rock

Graham Brady: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  when Ministers or officials in his Department first discussed the issuing of a guarantee to retail banking depositors with Northern Rock with  (a) the Governor of the Bank of England and  (b) other Bank of England officials;
	(2)  whether he plans to seek amendments to the EU Market Houses Directive to allow covert intervention by central banks.

Richard Spring: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his Department has the power under the tripartite agreement on the regulation of the financial system to overrule a sale of Northern Rock.

Kitty Ussher: holding answer 10 October 2007
	 I refer the hon. Members to the statement given by the Chancellor to the House on 11 October. As set out in the Financial Services and Markets Act (2000), the Financial Services Authority (FSA) is responsible for the regulation and supervision of financial institutions in the UK. The Memorandum of Understanding between the Treasury, the FSA and the Bank of England setting out the roles and responsibilities with respect to financial stability was last published in March 2006 and made available to the House.

Private Finance Initiative: Schools

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which of the projects listed as being the responsibility of the Department for Education and Skills on the private finance initiative signed projects lists available on his Department's website form part of  (a) the Building Schools for the Future programme and  (b) the Academies programme.

Andy Burnham: The Building Schools for the Future projects that are listed on the PFI signed projects list are Bristol, Bradford, Lancashire, Solihull, Sheffield, Newcastle, Leeds and Waltham Forest. Bristol also has one Academies project.

Revenue and Customs: Prosecutions

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how much compensation was paid to  (a) companies and  (b) individuals following failed prosecutions against them by HM Revenue and Customs, in each year since it was established;
	(2)  how much compensation was paid to  (a) companies and  (b) individuals following failed prosecutions against them by the Inland Revenue in each of the last 10 years;
	(3)  how much compensation was paid to  (a) companies and  (b) individuals following failed prosecutions against them by HM Customs and Excise in each of the last 10 years.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 25 October 2007
	There is no record of HMRC, the former IR or the former HMCE having made any payment to companies or individuals in the last 10 years as a result of civil litigation against the departments for failed prosecutions.
	HMRC makes redress payments for mistakes and unreasonable delays, as did its predecessors. The total sums for the last three years are published in HMRC annual reports. In previous years these payments were not specified in the annual reports of either of the predecessor departments. It is not possible for any of the years in question to distinguish whether any payment was made as a consequence of a failed prosecution.

Revenue and Customs: Security

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many breaches of security have occurred at HM Revenue and Customs in the last 12 months.

Jane Kennedy: Between October 2006 and September 2007, 2,111 reported breaches of security were recorded by HMRC in its 700 offices employing some 90,000 staff.
	HMRC takes all such reports very seriously and deals with each one appropriately in accordance with its departmental guidance and procedures.

Smuggling: Radioactive Materials

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps are being taken to enhance the detection of nuclear material entering the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: Programme Cyclamen, a risk-based and intelligence-led radiation screening capability, is in the process of being rolled out nationally.
	Air, sea, rail and Channel Tunnel traffic is being, or will be, screened, including containers, freight, post, fast parcels, vehicles and pedestrians.
	This is being achieved through the deployment of fixed and mobile detection capabilities.
	Cyclamen forms a key element of the UK's Counter-Terrorism Strategy, CONTEST.
	The Home Office has the lead responsibility for Programme Cyclamen. The Home Office and Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) jointly manage the implementation of the programme.
	HMRC are also responsible for operating the equipment at UK points of entry and for the initial detection of any imported nuclear or radiological material.
	Fixed detection equipment has been successfully installed and is operating at a number of major sea ports and airports and rollout across the UK will continue with completion scheduled for late 2009.
	This equipment is fully integrated with existing sea port and airport infrastructure and every effort is made to minimise potential disruption to legitimate business activities.
	A number of Mobile Radiation Detection Units (MRDUs) have been deployed to complement the fixed detection capability. They are currently being used to cover points of entry into the UK ahead of the fixed equipment roll out.
	These units can also be deployed unpredictably at points of entry anywhere in the UK not covered by the fixed capability on a risk and Intelligence-led basis.

Smuggling: Radioactive Materials

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what budget allocation has been made for research into the detection of nuclear material entering the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: The Home Office CBRN Science and Technology programme is funded to conduct scientific research against cross-Government capability requirements to enhance the UK's resilience to an incident involving the use, or threatened use, of chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear material.
	It is Government policy not to disclose how this work is prioritised or how resource is allocated across the programme as this could compromise national security.

Tax Credit

David Willetts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the total annual value was of each form of personal and corporate tax credit in each year since 1997.

Jane Kennedy: For information on working families' tax credit payments and disabled person's tax credits payments for 1999-00, 2000-01, 2001-02 and 2003-04, I refer the hon. Member to Note 3 of the Trust Statement in the Inland Revenue Annual Report for years 1999/00, 2000/01 and 2001/02, and the Inland Revenue Annual Report and Accounts for 2003/04. Figures for 2002-03 are published in Note 4 of the Trust Statement in the Inland Revenue Annual Report 2002/03. All of these are available on the HMRC website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/about/annual_reps.htm
	Information on new tax credit expenditure for 2003-04 is published in Note 3 of the Inland Revenue Annual Report and Accounts 2003-04, and for 2004-05, 2005-06 and 2006-07 in Table 3 of the Trust Statement to the 2005-2006 HMRC Resource Accounts and Trust Statement and HMRC Departmental Accounts 2006-2007. All of these are available on the HMRC website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/about/reports.htm
	Information on Research and Development Tax Credits for 2000-01 to 2004-05 is published as HMRC National Statistics on Corporation Tax. Table 1.5 in Tax Expenditures and Ready Reckoners provides figures for recent years. These are available on the HMRC website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/index.htm
	The total cost of Land Remediation Relief is estimated at 10 million in 2001-02, 20 million in 2002-03, 20 million 2003-04, and 30 million 2004-05. Projections for recent years are included in Table B.1 of the Tax Expenditures and Ready Reckoners, available as before.
	The new Film Tax Relief was only introduced in January 2007; therefore information on expenditure is not yet available.

Tax Yields

David Willetts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the total value was, excluding personal tax allowances, of tax foregone as the result of special reliefs, tapers and transferable allowances in each year since 1997.

Jane Kennedy: The total cost of the tax reliefs is not available. However, a list of the costs of the main tax allowances and reliefs is given in table 7 of the annual Tax ready reckoner and tax reliefs published as an associated document with the pre-Budget report. Copies can be found on the HMT website. A link to the latest version is given as follows:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/pbr_csr/documents/pbr_csr07_docsindex.cfm
	The HMT website also contains copies of the tax ready reckoner back to 2000. These cover estimates of the costs of allowances and reliefs for the years back to 1999-2000. Paper copies dating back to 1997 can be found in the House of Commons Library.

Tax: Television Companies

Alan Simpson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what value of tax allowances and incentives are applicable to the television broadcasting industry in the UK.

Jane Kennedy: There are no tax allowances or incentives specifically for the television broadcasting industry.

Travel: Surveys

Nigel Evans: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which  (a) airports and  (b) seaports are included in the International Passenger Survey conducted by the Office for National Statistics; what recent representations he has received on the conduct of the survey; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 29 October 2007:
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question concerning where the International Passenger Survey is conducted and recent representations made concerning the conduct of the survey. I am replying in her absence. (161395)
	The International Passenger Survey is conducted at:
	 Airports:
	London Heathrow
	London Gatwick
	Stansted
	Manchester
	Edinburgh
	Glasgow
	Prestwick
	Newcastle
	Liverpool
	Leeds/Bradford
	East Midlands
	Birmingham
	Luton
	Bristol
	Cardiff
	London City
	 Sea routes:
	Dover-Calais
	Dover-Dunkirk
	Portsmouth-Caen
	Portsmouth-St Malo
	Portsmouth-Cherbourg
	Portsmouth-Le Havre
	Poole-Cherbourg
	Plymouth-Santander
	Plymouth-Roscoff
	Harwich-Hook of Holland
	Harwich-Esbjerg
	Newcastle-Stavanger/Haugesund/Bergen
	Newcastle-Amsterdam
	Hull-Rotterdam
	Hull-Zeebrugge
	Pembroke-Rosslare
	Fishguard-Rosslare
	Holyhead-Dublin
	Holyhead-Dun Laoghaire
	Rosyth-Zeebrugge
	Southampton-New York QM2
	In addition we interview at the following Eurostar and Eurotunnel ports:
	 Rail:
	Waterloo (to be replaced by St Pancras in November)
	Ashford
	Ebbsfleet (from November)
	Cheriton-Coquelles
	In response to the Inter-Departmental Task Force on Migration Statistics, the Office for National Statistics are conducting a Port Survey Review which is designed to make recommendations on changes to the IPS to improve collection of migration statistics. An interim report of this review is due for publication on 30 October 2007. This will contain recommendations for some adjustments to the sample from April 2008 and plans for further work which may be implemented in 2009.
	In its response to ONS's consultation on statistical priorities DEFRA noted that in combination with household surveys, the IPS is a key survey in providing information relevant to environmental policy.
	In addition, the Office for National Statistics maintains contact, formal and informal, with a range of interested parties about the conduct of the survey.

Unemployment

Chris Grayling: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate his Department has made of the number of unemployed people who could experience a reduction in income should they return to work; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: Changes in incomes on returning to work would depend on individual and family characteristics, and also likely gross earnings and hours worked which are not known. No definitive estimate can be made.

Unemployment: Young People

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the rate of youth unemployment was in Peterborough constituency at the end of each month since January 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 29 October 2007:
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about youth unemployment. I am replying in her absence. (160801)
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles unemployment statistics for parliamentary constituencies from the annual local area Labour Force Survey (LFS) and the Annual Population Survey (APS) following International Labour Organisation (ILO) definitions. These are annual data and are not available monthly.
	Table 1, attached, provides the unemployment rate for people aged 16 to 24 resident in the Peterborough constituency for the 12 month periods ending in February for 1998 to 2004 from the annual LFS, and for the 12 month periods ending in March from 2005 to 2007, from the APS.
	As these estimates are for a subset of the population in a small geographical area, they are based on very small sample sizes, and are therefore subject to large margins of uncertainty. In this case, the sample sizes are not sufficient to give an accurate estimate of even the direction of the change over time.
	ONS also compiles statistics for local areas of people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA). Table 2 shows the number of JSA claimants aged 18 to 24 resident in the Peterborough constituency in each month from January 1997 to September 2007 (the latest month for which data are available). Claimant count proportions for parliamentary constituencies are not available for the 18 to 24 age group as working-age population data for this geography are not available by age groups.
	
		
			  Table 1: u nemployment rate of people aged 16 to 24, resident in the Peterborough constituency 
			  12 months ending  Rate( 1)  (percentage) 
			 February 1998 17 
			 February 1999 27 
			 February 2000 11 
			 February 2001 8 
			 February 2002 16 
			 February 2003 11 
			 February 2004 11 
			 March 2005 11 
			 March 2006 14 
			 March 2007 13 
			 (1) Unemployed people as a percentage of the economically active population for age group.  Notes: 1. Estimates are subject to random variability. 2. Changes in the estimates over time should be treated with particular caution.  Source: Annual local area Labour Force Survey; Annual Population survey 
		
	
	
		
			  T able 2: n umber of claimants of jobseeker's allowance aged 18 to 24, resident in the Peterborough constituency 
			  Month  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 January 1,015 690 570 500 425 425 435 450 565 625 670 
			 February 950 705 580 560 485 435 490 520 610 645 715 
			 March 950 645 545 565 515 430 545 535 615 680 725 
			 April 925 630 520 475 465 445 550 485 580 740 750 
			 May 860 635 520 430 465 420 565 545 620 715 705 
			 June 835 600 520 430 445 425 580 465 590 755 690 
			 July 850 640 560 465 465 475 610 520 585 655 660 
			 August 855 655 550 455 475 495 600 555 590 610 645 
			 September 790 610 520 415 465 475 555 550 575 605 625 
			 October 740 545 475 410 430 425 500 485 575 640  
			 November 670 520 450 400 410 405 475 495 570 615  
			 December 650 530 460 390 420 385 435 500 565 595  
			  Notes: 1. Claimant count data by age includes computerised claims only. 2. Dataset rounded to the nearest 5.  Source: Jobcentre Plus administrative data

Valuation Office Agency: Freedom of Information

Alistair Burt: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what requests have been made to the Valuation Office Agency under the  (a) Freedom of Information Act (FOI) 2000 and  (b) Environmental Information Regulations 2004 in the last six months; and what the (i) FOI case reference number, (ii) request summary, (iii) request outcome and (iv) where appropriate, reason for exemption was in each case.

Jane Kennedy: The Valuation Office Agency received 144 FOI requests in the first two quarters of the calendar year 2007.
	The agency has no record of any requests under the Environment Information Regulations 2004 for the first two quarters of 2007.
	A breakdown of the statistics, with the agency's case reference number, has been placed in the Library.

VAT: Internet

David Chaytor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his policy is on levying VAT on eBay transactions; what mechanisms are in place to enforce his policy; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: eBay and other e-marketplace transactions are subject to the normal rules of VAT. The Government are concerned that all businesses should comply with their tax obligations, irrespective of size, and HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) continues to review and address risks relating to online trading, including using a series of advertising messages on its website to remind people of their tax obligations.
	HMRC treats e-traders no differently to any other businesses. Where tax is found to have been evaded, HMRC takes steps to recover it, and civil or criminal proceedings can be brought in the UK courts.

VAT: Sight Impaired

David Chaytor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the annual cost was of the VAT exemption on software for blind and partially sighted people in the latest period for which figures are available.

Jane Kennedy: VAT is usually chargeable on computer software, even when sold to blind and partially sighted people. However, certain pre-installed software is VAT zero-rated when sold with computer peripherals and equipment, such as a processor or base unit, that are themselves eligible for relief.
	HM Revenue and Customs does not collect data on VAT from individual goods and services, so the annual cost of VAT relief for computer software, equipment or peripherals is not available.

Tax Credits: Overpayments

Helen Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to ensure that the overpayments of tax credit to Mr T. Venables, of Bexhill Avenue, Warrington, are remedied as a matter of urgency.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 25 October 2007
	HMRC very much regret the delay in resolving this issue and have written to update you on your constituent's case.

Tax Credits: Overpayments

Danny Alexander: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when HM Revenue and Customs expect to complete the Transformation Programme in regard to the tax credits system.

Jane Kennedy: The Tax Credits Transformation Programme was established in November 2006 to improve the way tax credits are delivered through communications and services which are tailored to the needs and circumstances of the customer. It aims to have delivered the vast majority of these enhanced communications and services by April 2009.
	The programme is delivering ongoing improvements, including, from 1 November 2007, significant improvements for customers reporting a household breakdown as announced on 18 October 2007.

Tax Credits: Overpayments

Danny Alexander: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library a copy of the revised guidance on overpayments of tax credits issued to staff of HM Revenue and Customs on 17 August 2007.

Jane Kennedy: The updated guidance is available on the HM Revenue and Customs website at:
	www.hmrc.gov.uk/manuals/ntcmanual/payment_opayments/ntc0780010.htm
	www.hmrc.gov.uk/manuals/ntcmanual/payment_opayments/ntc0780280.htm
	wvvw.hmrc.gov.uk/manuals/ntcmanual/payment_opayments/ntc0780300.htm
	www.hmrc.gov.uk/manuals/ntcmanual/payment_opayments/ntc0780320.htm
	and
	www.hmrc.gov.uk/manuals/ntcmanual/payment_opayments/ntc0780290.htm
	Following my report to the House on 18 October 2007,  Official Report , column 944, further revisions to this guidance are now being made to ensure the changes to the reasonable belief test which HMRC plan to introduce in January are delivered in practice. Details of those further revisions will be published in due course.

Tax Credits: Overpayments

Don Touhig: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his latest estimate is of the number of  (a) overpayments and  (b) underpayments of tax credits in the past 12 months.

Jane Kennedy: Estimates of the number of in-work families with tax credit awards, including information on overpayments and underpayments, based on final family circumstances and incomes in 2005-06, for which the latest finalised figures are available, are published in Child and Working Tax Credits Statistics. Finalised Annual Awards 2005-06. Supplements on Payments in 2005-06. This publication is available on the HMRC website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/cwtc-quarterly-stats.htm
	Information on the level of over and underpaid tax credit awards in 2006-07 will not be available until May 2008.

Tax Credits: Peterborough

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many individuals in Peterborough constituency were overpaid tax credits in each financial year since the inception of the scheme.

Jane Kennedy: Estimates of the number of families with tax credit awards, including information on overpayments and underpayments by constituency, based on final family circumstances and incomes, for the years 2003-04, 2004-05 and 2005-06 are available in the HMRC publication Child and Working Tax Credits Statistics. Finalised Annual Awards. Supplement on Payments. Geographical Analysis, for each relevant year. These publications are available on the HMRC website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/cwtc-geog-stats.htm
	Information on the level of overpaid tax credit awards in 2006-07 will not be available until May 2008.

Tax Credits: ICT

Don Touhig: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many recorded instances of failure of the IT system that deals with working tax credits there have been in the last 12 months.

Jane Kennedy: The information is not available in the format requested.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Animal Experiments

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  if she will replace the test used to assess the potential of chemical substances to cause irritation to human skin with the non-animal EPISKIN-SIT test;
	(2)  if she will amend the licences currently in operation allowing use of animals to test for skin irritancy to ensure that the EPISKIN-SIT test is used instead.

Meg Hillier: We will replace the test used to assess the potential of chemical substances to cause irritation to human skin with the non-animal EPISKIN-SIT test (or any other suitable and validated non-animal model) where scientifically justified and amend existing licences, as necessary, once the agreed protocols for regulatory testing are agreed and published.
	The determination for regulatory purposes of a material's potential to cause skin irritation is currently largely done by animal testing. On 27 April 2007 the European Centre for the Validation of Alternatives Methods (ECVAM) Scientific Advisory Committee issued a validation statement with respect to two non-animal tests methods, EPISKIN and EpiDerm, for predicting skin irritation potential. The validation statement described the EPISKIN system as being a reliable and relevant stand-alone alternative method for this purpose, and the EpiDerm system as having the potential to reliably identify skin irritants within a tiered-testing strategy. Work is now under way within ECVAM to develop internationally agreed protocols for the use of these methods for regulatory purposes.
	We have already advised the relevant project licence holders of the validation statement, and the need to use the in vitro methods once the agreed protocols for regulatory testing become available. Thereafter, it will be possible for the Home Office to authorise the use of the animal test only in cases where it can be demonstrated that the in vitro methods would not produce scientifically satisfactory results.

Antisocial Behaviour: Restaurants

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many take-away restaurants have been  (a) temporarily and  (b) permanently shut by the police as a result of antisocial behaviour since the Licensing Act 2003 came into force.

Gerry Sutcliffe: I have been asked to reply.
	We do not hold this information centrally. The Licensing Act 2003 devolved the administration of the licensing regime to individual licensing authorities, and each licensing authority should hold information about licensed premises in their area.

Anti-terrorism Control Orders

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 15 October 2007,  Official Report, column 786W, on anti-terrorism control orders, how many of those subject to control orders  (a) remain subject to a control order,  (b) have been prosecuted under terrorism legislation,  (c) have been deported and  (d) are now free of all restrictions.

Jacqui Smith: Of the 30 individuals ever subject to a control order:
	 (a) 14 are currently subject to a control order;
	 (b) One has been successfully prosecuted (under the Prevention of Terrorism Act);
	 (c) Nine individuals were served with notices of intention to deport and then either held in custody or granted bail subject to strict conditions, six of them have now been deported;
	 (d) Seven individuals are no longer subject to any control order restrictions because their orders have either been revoked, or not been renewed, or expired, or never been served.

Arrests

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research has been  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated by her Department on trends in the numbers of arrests made by police officers against the wishes of the victim of the crime; and if she will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: The Home Office has not commissioned or conducted any research in this area to date.
	The Ministry of Justice (and formerly the Home Office) does collect statistics on arrests for notifiable offences, by offence group, gender, age and police force area. However, this collection does not determine whether the arrest was against the wishes of the crime victim.

Asylum

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the annual expenditure has been on the Gateway Protection Programme since its establishment; how many officials are employed to administer the Gateway Programme; and how many refugees have been admitted under the Gateway Protection Programme since 2004, broken down by nationality.

Liam Byrne: The Gateway Protection Programme became operational in 2004. Annual expenditure is calculated per financial year and (rounded to the nearest thousand) was 3,024,000 in 2004-05; 2,266,000 in 2005-06; and 5,349,000 in 2006-07.
	At present 17 Border and Immigration Officials administer the Gateway Protection Programme in the UK. Since 2004, refugees of the following nationalities have been admitted under the Gateway Protection Programme: Liberian, Sierra Leoneon, Congolese (DRC), Mauritanian, Ethiopian and Burmese nationality.

Asylum

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people claimed asylum in the UK in 2006; what discussions she has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the effect of those claimants on the UK economy; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: Excluding dependants, the number of asylum applications received in 2006 was 23,610, 8 per cent. less than in 2005 (25,710), continuing the fall from the peak of 84,130 in 2002.
	Ministers routinely discuss matters that may be of interest across their respective Departments. In addition, the Government have set up the Migration Impacts Forum to provide evidence to Government on the impacts of migration and produce best practice in dealing with these impacts. This forum is chaired jointly by Ministers from the Home Office and the Department for Communities and Local Government.

Asylum: Housing

Gary Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what system she has put in place to ensure that accommodation supplied by private contractors for asylum seekers is of adequate quality; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 25 October 2007
	There is a robust system in place to ensure that accommodation supplied by both private sector and public sector providers for asylum seekers under Target Contracts is of an adequate quality.
	This is based upon the four weekly monitoring of key performance indicators (KPI's) against an output based statement of requirements. The statement of requirements can be found on the internet at:
	http://www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk/6353/11464/statementofrequirements
	and a copy is also available in the House Libraries.

Babies: Sales

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will bring forward proposals for legislation to create an offence of advertising an unborn baby for sale over the internet; and if she will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: The Government deplore the concept and practice of offering unborn babies for sale either on the internet or by other means.
	Legislation is already in place. The Sexual Offences Act 2003 prohibits any form of movement and trafficking of children for any form of exploitation. I have been advised by the Secretary of State for Children Schools and Families that the advertisement of an unborn baby for sale for adoption over the internet would be an offence under the existing provisions of the Adoption and Children Act 2002 which restrict, in England and Wales, the arranging of adoptions and the making of payments for an adoption, and, in the whole of the UK, adoption-related advertisements including advertisements by means of the internet.

Bedfordshire Police: Standards

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what position Bedfordshire Police occupy in the 2006-07 Home Office ratings; what measures are being taken to improve its performance; and if she will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 15 October 2007
	The Police Performance Assessments 2006-07 were published on 9 October. These assessments are not a ranking of forces in terms of best and worstthey look at the quality of service delivered in each area, and whether forces have improved.
	Bedfordshire in common with all constabularies is always seeking to improve performance, and the Home Office and HMIC will continue to help Bedfordshireand other forcesto address the issues highlighted in the assessments. The chief constable is already addressing the issues raised by the assessment and has given her personal commitment to improving performance.

Citizens Juries

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many citizens' juries were arranged for  (a) her Department and  (b) her Department's agencies in each year since 1997; which organisations were commissioned to conduct each citizens' jury; and what the cost was of each.

Tony McNulty: Data from 1997 are not readily available and would require a significant review of all engagement activities and analysis of the techniques used, extracting costs for citizens' juries at a disproportionate cost.

Control Orders

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 15 October 2007,  Official Report, column 786W, on control orders, how many of the seven individuals who have absconded have now been located and are under supervision.

Jacqui Smith: Finding individuals who have absconded is an operational matter for the police and investigations are ongoing. However, I can confirm that, as Parliament was informed in the WMS of 17 September 2007, an individual who absconded in May 2007 is currently on remand.

Crime Prevention: Bedfordshire

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps Bedfordshire Police are taking to improve the level of service provided for vulnerable people; and if she will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: Bedfordshire in common with all constabularies is always seeking to improve performance, and the Home Office and HMIC will continue to help Bedfordshireand other forcesto address the issues highlighted in the assessments. The chief constable is already addressing the issues raised by the assessment and has given her personal commitment to improving performance.

Crime Prevention: Bedfordshire

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps Bedfordshire Police are taking to improve working with local partners and community stakeholders; and if she will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: The improvements suggested by the review of the partnership provisions in the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 contributed to a change in the legislation affecting partnerships. They were reflected in the Police and Justice Act 2006 and in subsequent regulations, which came into force on 1 August 2007. These include the introduction of minimum standards for partnership working and provisions to strengthen information sharing. The Home Office has also issued guidance to community safety partnerships to help them increase the effectiveness of partnership working. Each of these elements should further support Bedfordshire police work with local partners and community stakeholders.

Crime: Elderly

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people aged over 65 years have been victims of crime in the last five years, broken down by  (a) type of crime,  (b) age of victim and  (c) location; and if she will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: This information is not recorded separately within police recorded crime statistics. This data series does not contain any information relating to the victim and therefore, breakdowns by age are not possible.
	The British Crime Survey (BCS) routinely provides information on the proportions of people who report having been victims of crime in the previous year, by crime type and age (and sex), but not by location. The BCS does not provide numbers of people who have been victims of crime by age.
	Tables 1 and 2 show the proportion of people who had been victims of violence and theft from the person in the previous 12 months, for the last 5 years, for men aged 65-74, women 65-74, men aged 75 and over, and women aged 75 and over.
	Tables 3 to 5 show the proportion of households who had been victims of burglary, vehicle-related theft and vandalism in the previous 12 months, for the last five years, for households with a household reference person aged 65-74 and 75 and over. The tables also show the average risk for all adults, for all years.
	
		
			  Table 1: All violence 
			   2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			  Percentage victims once or more  
			 Men 65-74 1.3 0.6 0.4 0.5 0.8 
			 Men 75+ 0.4 0.2 0.2 0.3 0.5 
			 Women 65-74 0.7 0.7 0.5 0.5 0.5 
			 Women 75+ 0.6 0.5 0.5 0.4 0.3 
			 All adults 4.1 4.1 3.6 3.4 3.6 
			  Note:  Estimates for 2006/07 are not directly comparable with previous years due to revisions in the categorysnatch theft is no longer included in all BCS violence.   Source:  British Crime Survey. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: All theft from the person 
			   2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			  Percentage victims once or more  
			 Men 65-74 n/a 0.4 0.3 0.2 0.5 
			 Men 75+ n/a 0 0.4 0.3 0 
			 Women 65-74 n/a 1.3 1.1 1.5 1.1 
			 Women 75+ n/a 1.3 0.9 1.3 1.2 
			   
			 All adults 1.5 1.4 1.2 1.2 1.2 
			  Note:  Figures by age not available for 2002-03.   Source:  British Crime Survey. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 3: All burglary 
			   2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			  Percentage victims once or more  
			 Household reference person  
			 (HRP)(1 )65-74 1.8 1.9 1.5 1.2 1.4 
			 HRP 75+ 1.9 1.8 1.6 1.5 1.2 
			   
			 All households 3.4 3.2 2.7 2.4 2.5 
			 (1) Head of household.   Source:  British Crime Survey. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 4: All vehicle related thefts 
			   2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			  Percentage victims once or more  
			 Household reference person  
			 (HRP)(1 )65-74 4.9 4.6 3.3 2.6 3.2 
			 HRP 75+ 3.6 2.3 2.6 2.6 2.2 
			   
			 All households 10.8 9.7 8.2 7.5 7.5 
			 (1) Head of household.   Note: Based on vehicle-owing households.   Source:  British Crime Survey. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 5: All vandalism 
			   2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			  Percentage victims once or more  
			 Household reference person  
			 (HRP)(1) 65-74 n/a 5.0 4.4 4.6 5.3 
			 HRP 75+ n/a 2.1 2.2 2.8 2.7 
			   
			 All households 7.3 7.1 7.1 7.6 7.9 
			 (1) Head of household.   Notes: 1. Based on vehicle-owning households.  2. Figures by age not available for 2002-03.   Source:  British Crime Survey.

Criminal Records Agency

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many employer requests for information were received for people on the police criminal records database who have neither been convicted nor voluntarily accepted a police caution in 2006.

Meg Hillier: I am unable to confirm how many employer requests for information were received for people on the police criminal records database who have neither been convicted nor voluntarily accepted a police caution, because such data are not collated.

Criminal Records Bureau

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures are in place to ensure  (a) that information kept by the Criminal Records Bureau is accurate and up-to-date and  (b) that the documentary evidence to support such information is properly recorded.

Meg Hillier: The Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) operates a central database in order to record transactions that occur during the Disclosure process, where applicants' personal data provided on an application form are compared against information held by the police, the Department of Health and the Department for Children, Schools and Families. Although the CRB has access to conviction and other information through this process, the police and the other data sources above are the data owners of material held on their respective databases and as such are responsible for the accuracy of information held thereon.
	The CRB is fully committed to compliance with the Data Protection Act 1998.
	The following principles apply when personal information is handled:
	personal information is processed only with an applicant's knowledge;
	only information that the Bureau needs is collected and processed;
	personal information is seen only by those who need it to do their jobs;
	personal information is retained only for as long as it is required;
	information is protected from unauthorised or accidental disclosure;
	inaccurate or misleading data will be corrected as soon as possible; and
	procedures are in place for dealing promptly with any disputes.
	These principles apply whether information is held on paper or in electronic form.
	The CRB relies on the police and the other data sources to maintain accurate and up-to-date records as part of those organisations' own obligations under the Data Protection Act.

Departments: Assets

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what departmental assets are planned to be sold in each financial year from 2007-08 to 2010-11; what the  (a) description and  (b) book value of each such asset is; and what the expected revenue from each such sale is.

Liam Byrne: The Home Office has firm plans to dispose of two properties over the period 2007-08 to 2010-11. These are both police training facilities belonging to the National Police Improvement Agency. Bruche in Warrington has a book value of 6.8 million and Ashford in Kent has a book value of 9.4 million.
	The department will publish an Asset Management Strategy in December setting out the approach it will take to improve and rationalise the estate from 2008-09 to 2010-11.

Departments: Cost Effectiveness

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will place in the Library a breakdown of the Department's efficiency savings in relation to its Spending Review 2004 (SR04) targets, including  (a) the efficiency projects in the Department,  (b) the date on which they were initiated and  (c) how much each was predicted to contribute to the SR04 target.

Liam Byrne: The 2007 Departmental Annual Report (Cm 7096) set out the Home Office's performance in relation to the 2004 Spending Review target to increase value for money which was met 15 months early. It reported that the Department had achieved gains worth 2,352 million, of which 1,530 million is cashable against a target of 1,970 million, of which 1,240 million is to be cashable. Further progress will be published in the 2007 Autumn Performance Report.
	The Home Office VfM Technical note, available at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/documents/sr2004-value-for-money-tech-note/?version=1
	describes the breakdown and calculation method of projects that contribute to the overall target for Home Office value for money. A recent report by the Committee of Public Accounts (HC349) commented on the robustness of the Department's approach to measurement, particularly in relation to those savings arising from reduction in the cost of providing asylum support.

Departments: Marketing

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which advertising and marketing campaigns were run by  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies in each of the last five years; which external agencies were involved; and what the cost was of each campaign.

Liam Byrne: The information requested is as follows:
	 (a) Home Office
	Government policies and programmes affect the lives of millions of people and in order for them to work they must be communicated effectively. But that also has to be done with cost efficiency in mind and there are strict rules to ensure value for money on Government advertising.
	The tables show the advertising campaigns which have been run by this Department over the last five years, the external agencies involved and the cost for each campaign.
	 (b) Executive Agencies
	 (i) Identity and Passport Service (formerly UK Passports Agency)
	The Identity and Passport Service (IPS) have run the following campaigns in the last five years:
	Passport fee increase
	E passports
	First time passport
	During the last five years, the following creative agencies have been used:
	Cramm Francis Woolf (2000-04)
	The Forster Company 2003-04)
	Tullo Marshall Warren (2005)
	Fishburn Hedges (2006- )
	All these contracts have been awarded by COI on behalf of the IPS.
	Costs are as shown in the following table.
	 (ii) Criminal Records Bureau (CRB)
	CRB have not conducted any advertising or marketing campaigns. A manual search would be necessary to provide a response on recruitment advertising, which would invoke disproportionate cost.
	Responsibility for Her Majesty's Prison Service has transferred to the Ministry of Justice so we have not provided their figures here.
	Cabinet Office guidance provides a definition of advertising spend as costs for media, but not those for creative work, research, production of supporting materials or launch events. All figures exclude VAT, production, COI fees and any miscellaneous expenditure.
	Media buying is handled through the Central Office of Information (COI).
	The following table shows the advertising campaigns which have been run by this Department over the last five years and the cost for each campaign.
	The external agencies involved are listed in the tables.
	
		
			  Campaign  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Drug misuse campaign 19,878 
			 Vehicle crime reduction 4,362,887 4,296,931
			 Police recruitment 4,222,741 4,000,608
			 Child protection on the internet 705,194 736,878 290,225 862,229 46,824 
			 Drugs (Frank Campaign) 38,014 2,184,499 (1)2,049,593 (1)1,524,701 (1)3,467,021 
			 Firearms Amnesty 506,283 
			 Youth Justice online consultation  38,014
			 Domestic Violence  805,140 432,263 534,587 800,384 
			 Gun crime   162,042   
			 Acquisitive crime reduction   6,100,808 4,123,311 3,226,192 
			 Antisocial behaviour   368,492 396,475  
			 Police specials   1 ,885,559 1,389,166  
			 Clean up featurelink   25,722   
			 Police HPD61,661  
			 Alcohol misuse enforcement campaign (AMEC)92,204 231,713 
			 Clean up campaign39,819  
			 Park Mark car parks94,260  
			 Crime stoppers82,182  
			 Police high potential development82,062  
			 Rape66,153 280,022 
			 Alcohol - know your limits 1,975,005 
			 Police community support officers 1,748,743 
			 Single non emergency number 780,325 
			 Immigration 790,860 
			 Knife amnesty 137,083 
			 Stop and Search 134,501 
			 Total Media spend (ex VAT) 9,854,997 12,062,070 11,314,704 9,348,810 13,618,673 
			 1 The FRANK drugs campaign was billed to Home Office, Health and DFEScombined figures have been used. 
		
	
	The following creative agencies and strategic agencies helped deliver the campaigns:
	 Creative agencies
	St. Lukes
	RKCR/YR
	M and C Saatchi
	Ogilvy  Mather
	Mother
	EURO
	Red
	Barkers
	United London
	The Watch-men
	 Strategic agencies
	MGM
	Media Edge
	Naked
	MGM
	PHD
	We have provided figures for advertising campaigns but not marketing campaigns. To separate out expenditure on marketing campaigns from other communications expenditure could be done only at disproportionate cost.
	The following table provides information on Home Office recruitment advertising:
	
		
			   Creative agency  Media spend (excluding VAT) 
			 2002-03 Barkers 6,498 
			 2003-04 Barkers 255,533 
			 2004-05 Barkers 204,804 
			 2005-06 Barkers 217,396 
			 2006-07 Barkers 22,004 
			 Total  706,235 
		
	
	 (b) Executive Agencies
	 (i) Identity and Passport Service (formerly UK Passports Agency)
	Costs are as follows:
	
		
			  COI only (media spend on advertising campaigns) 
			
			 2002-03 489,170 
			 2003-04 648,624 
			 2004-05 466,616 
			 2005-06 826,290 
			 2006-07 992,942 
		
	
	
		
			  Recruitment and selection costs 
			
			 2000-01 127,950 
			 2001-02 214,900 
			 2002-03 48,493 
			 2003-04 106,866 
			 2004-05 238,683 
			 2005-06 1,183,467 
			 2006-07 2,099,392

Departments: Ministerial Policy Advisers

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the name is of each special adviser in her Department.

Jacqui Smith: The annual list of special adviser names will be published shortly.

Departments: Official Hospitality

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much was spent by her Department on official hospitality in the last 12 months.

Liam Byrne: Home Office expenditure on official hospitality and entertainment conforms to departmental guidance on financial procedures and propriety, which complies with the principles of Government Accounting and the Treasury Handbook on Regularity and Propriety. Hospitality is defined as the provision of food, drink and entertainment of non-civil servants where it is beneficial to the interests of the Department.
	The last 12-month period for which there are audited figures is financial year 2006-07. The spend for 2006-07, based on final accounts, is 91,829 (0.0000066 per cent. of total resource spend for 2006-07).
	This figure covers hospitality provided by both civil servants and Ministers.

Departments: Policy

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what policy changes her Department has implemented since 27 June 2007.

Liam Byrne: The Home Office has implemented a number of new policies since 27 June 2007, and we have kept Parliament fully informed of these. Following the terrorist incidents in Glasgow and London in June, we have spent much of the last few months focused on counter terrorism and security. The Prime Minister has asked Lord West to conduct a review of the protection of crowded places, critical national infrastructure, and transport infrastructure from a critical terrorist attack.
	On July 19 The Home Secretary launched the new Crime Strategy. This includes a stronger focus on serious violence, continued pressure on antisocial behaviour, a renewed focus on young people, a new national approach to designing out crime, and continuing work to reduce re-offending. The newly created National Crime Reduction Board to oversee delivery across government departments held its first meeting on 10 October 2007.
	On 24 August 2007 immigration officers began wearing uniforms at Gatwick's border control, creating a stronger and more visible presence at the border.
	On 9 September we launched the Tackling Gangs Action Programme with focused work in areas of London, Manchester, Birmingham and Liverpool where gun crime and gangs are a particular issue.
	On 27 September the Home Secretary announced a new 50 million fund to give the police access to 21(st) century crime fighting technologies. This includes the provision of 1,000 new mobile computers we intend to roll out this year followed by a further 10,000 more next year.

Departments: Public Expenditure

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what dates her Department breached its  (a) resource,  (b) near-cash,  (c) administration and  (d) capital budget since 2001; what the value of each breach was; and what the reason was for each breach.

Liam Byrne: The Home Office has not breached any of its spending limits during the period in question.

Departments: Public Expenditure

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in which financial years since 2001 her Department's outturn for its capital budget at the end of the year was less than planned at the beginning of the year; and what the  (a) value and  (b) reason for the underspend was in each case.

Liam Byrne: The National Audit Office measures spending performance against plans by comparing outturns against final provision following Supplementary Estimates rather than against plans at the start of the year as plans can change during the year for a number of reasons, such as machinery of government and classification changes. The definitive figures for final provision and provisional outturn are published each year in the Public Expenditure Outturns White Paper. Changes to plans arising in-year are published in Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses, as are differences between provisional and final outturns.

Departments: Public Participation

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many citizens' juries have been arranged by her Department since June; which organisations were commissioned to conduct each citizens' jury; and what the cost was of each exercise.

Tony McNulty: The Home Office held a Citizens' Jury on Crime and Communities on 12 September 2007. The research and events companies BMRB and Live Events were appointed to run the event following a transparent and competitive tender organised by COI. The total cost for the event was 105,000.

Departments: Secondment

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff are seconded to her Department from outside Government; from which outside body each has been seconded; and what the length is of each secondment.

Liam Byrne: The non-agency Home Office maintains detailed records of staff on inward secondment to its own business areas, but does not maintain this information for its agencies. The agencies themselves do not maintain a central record of this information, and the information for the agencies could not be obtained without incurring a disproportionate cost.
	The following table sets out the requested information for the 22 centrally recorded secondments into the non-agency Home Office from outside government.
	
		
			  Seconding organisation  Number of secondees  Length of secondment (months) 
			 Hampshire constabulary 2 1. 19 
			   2. 24 
			 Avon and Somerset Probation Area 1 24 
			 Essex police 1 24 
			 Metropolitan police 1 24 
			 Hertfordshire constabulary 3 1. 24 
			   2. 34 
			 Merseyside police 2 1. 24 
			   2. 24 
			 Greater London Authority  12 
			 West Midlands police  24 
			 Durham constabulary  24 
			 Thames Valley police  12 
			 Reading borough council  12 
			 London Probation Area 2 1. 24 
			   2. 24 
			 South Wales Probation Area  24 
			 Staffordshire Probation Area  24 
			 London borough of Lewisham  34 
			 London borough of Waltham Forest  12 
			 NHC Scotland  24 
			 Total 22

Dispersal Orders

David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment she has made of the efficacy of dispersal orders made under the Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003.

Vernon Coaker: Dispersal Orders are one of a number of measures to tackle antisocial behaviour and have succeeded in tackling underage drinking, joyriding, noise nuisance, the antisocial use of fireworks and the harassment and intimidation of residents. They are not intended to be used in isolation, but should form part of a tiered and integrated response to tackling crime and disorder and antisocial behaviour in local areas. This includes work by YOTs to prevent young people getting involved in offending and antisocial behaviour.
	While no assessment has been made of the efficacy of dispersal orders on their own, a study and report by the National Audit Office (Tackling Anti-Social Behaviour, HC 99 Session 2006-07, 7 December 2006) confirmed that a tiered approach to tackling antisocial behaviour is highly effective. This is also borne out by the fact that we have driven down perceptions of antisocial behaviour by 4 percentage points from the baseline of 21 per cent. in 2002-03 to 17 per cent. in 2005-06.

Driving: EC Countries

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the implications for security of the application procedures for the EU driving licence; and if she will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 19 October 2007
	Driving licences issued in the UK conform to the format and standard laid out in the second EC directive on driver licensing (91/439/EEC) and are considered to be EU driving licences.
	All applicants for a first driving licence must provide evidence of identity. This is usually a passport but, in instances where a passport is not available, alternative documentation will be considered. In 2003 DVLA conducted a wide ranging review of its identity checking procedures and associated fraud prevention arrangements. Following the review, DVLA established specialist teams using sophisticated equipment to help identify counterfeit and forged identity documentation.

Drugs: Testing

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the reasons are for concurrent animal and non-animal testing of recreational drugs.

Meg Hillier: In order to be licensed under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 a project must be for one of the permissible purposes listed in section 5(3) of the Act.
	These include:
	the prevention (whether by the testing of any product or otherwise) or the diagnosis or treatment of disease, ill-health or abnormality, or their effects, in man, animals or plants;
	the assessment, detection, regulation or modification of physiological conditions in man, animals or plants; and
	and the advancement of knowledge in biological or behavioural sciences.
	Any projects using animals involving the use of so-called recreational drugs would have had to satisfy one or more of these requirements. The 1986 Act regulates only the use of live animals and this is only licensed by the Home Office when no other research method would satisfy the research objectives.
	Studies involving such drugs may provide valuable new information about the modes of action of the individual drugs and drug addiction and abuse in general, their short and long-term adverse effects, and how these can be avoided or managed. Such insights are essential to better inform the prevention and treatment of these activities and conditions. Many such drugs are also currently used or are being further evaluated, for legitimate clinical use.
	The Home Office does not commission any work where recreational drugs are tested on human subjects, i.e. non-animal testing. Samples have been and will soon be taken again from people who already use drugs to test for the presence of drugs/metabolites in their body fluids. These people take the drugs of their own free will. We are not testing the effect of the drugs on the people but researching or evaluating methods of detecting use. This work is undertaken on behalf of Road Policing and Drug Intervention Programme policies.

European Justice and Home Affairs Council

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many votes took place at the European Justice and Home Affairs Council in each of the last 12 months; which of these votes were under the  (a) qualified majority voting and  (b) unanimity procedure; how many times the British Government (i) applied a veto, (ii) voted negatively and (iii) abstained in such votes in each month; and if she will make a statement.

Meg Hillier: The Government do not hold statistics on the number of votes held at the Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) Council. The JHA Council, like other sectoral Councils, adopts proposals both in its own field of JHA matters and in other areas. Data specific to a particular Council formation would not therefore be an accurate guide to voting patterns in particular subject areas.
	The Government do hold statistics on UK votes against and abstentions on final legislative acts in the Council as a whole (across the different formations). These show that for 2006, the UK voted against two proposals and abstained on a further two. For the period to May 2007, the UK voted against three proposals and abstained on one. It is not possible to keep records of vetoes, because no decision is adopted and there is therefore no formal vote.

Genetics: Databases

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how long DNA and fingerprints will be held on file for individuals who are proven to have committed no offence.

Meg Hillier: Under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act, the police have the power to take DNA and fingerprints from anyone arrested for a recordable offence and detained in a police station, and retain them indefinitely, regardless of whether the person is then charged or convicted.
	In practice, the police follow retention guidelines issued by the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) which state that records will normally be retained for 100 years from the person's date of birth, regardless of whether they are still alive.
	ACPO also issued guidance to chief officers on the consideration of applications for removal at the end of January 2006. The ACPO guidelines envisage that DNA and fingerprints which have been taken lawfully will be removed only in exceptional cases, though discretion remains with the chief officer. The then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department my right hon. Friend the Member for Leigh (Andy Burnham) made a written ministerial statement announcing the issue of these ACPO guidelines on 16 February 2006,  Official Report, column 119WS.
	The PACE Review announced in March 2007 is looking at police powers in this area.
	A public consultation exercise has been carried out, and final proposals will be submitted to Ministers in January 2008 following completion of the next phase of the consultation process, with stakeholders and practitioner, during the autumn.

Genetics: Databases

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people on the police criminal records database have neither been convicted nor voluntarily accepted a police caution.

Meg Hillier: This information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Genetics: Databases

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans she has for further development of the national DNA database.

Meg Hillier: The National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) is responsible for the delivery of national DNA database (NDNAD) operational services. Currently, these services are delivered under contract to the NPIA by the Forensic Science Service. The contract also includes provision for development of the NDNAD and work in this area includes: automation of the end-to-end NDNAD process from police sampling to match report transmission, as well as enhancement to NDNAD management information and data integrity. The NPIA is also working on a strategy for the future management and development of the national DNA database beyond the end of the current contract.

Human Trafficking: Cambridgeshire

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what financial and other assistance she plans to offer to Cambridgeshire constabulary to tackle the implications of human trafficking for Peterborough and Cambridgeshire; and if she will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: Police forces receive over 11 billion in grant annually. Human trafficking is core police business and all forces including Cambridgeshire Constabulary should now have the capacity to deal with trafficking problems in their area. Human trafficking involves serious criminality and is often committed by organised criminal groups. The UK Human Trafficking Centre was established to assist in the development of law enforcement expertise and operational co-ordination across the UK.
	Operation Pentameter 2 a UK wide operation which aims to rescue and protect victims of human trafficking for sexual exploitation and to identify, disrupt, arrest and bring to justice those involved in criminal activity was launched on the 3 October. This operation follows on from the successful operation run last year which rescued 88 victims. The operation provides another opportunity to increase expertise among law enforcement and to encourage the proactive policing of human trafficking.

Identity Cards: Costs

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of  (a) the cost of (i) introducing and (ii) operating an identity card scheme and  (b) the cost of (i) introducing and (ii) operating biometric passports.

Meg Hillier: Between the financial years 2003-04 and 2005-06, 41.1 million was spent by the Identity Cards Programme in total.
	Since the merger of the Home Office Identity Cards Programme and the UK Passport Service to create the Identity and Passport Service on the 1 April 2006, projects to deliver passports including facial images and fingerprints, identity cards and other improvements have been necessarily combined. As much of the technology and operational processes needed to implement identity cards is also required for the implementation of these new passports, this is the most cost-effective way to deliver these initiatives.
	Much of the work conducted by Identity and Passport Service cannot be categorised, both financially and operationally, as contributing towards either the introduction of passports with facial images and fingerprints or identity cards alone. The work is accounted for as future development projects which in the 2006-07 financial year amounted to 30.9 million.
	Section 37 of the Identity Cards Act 2006 requires the Secretary of State to lay a report before Parliament every six months which details an updated figure for the cost of the National Identity Scheme over the following 10 years. The latest cost report was laid before Parliament on the 10 May 2007,  Official Report, column 24WS, and can be found at:
	http://www.identitycards.gov.uk/downloads/2007-05-10CostReport.pdf
	I would refer the hon. Member to that report. The next cost report will be laid in November 2007.
	The costs of issuing passports and identity cards to British Nationals will be predominantly covered by fee income. The final fee schedule for these products has yet to be finalised.

Identity Cards: Finance

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what estimate she has made of the costs of the identity cards programme to her Department during the initial setup period of the programme;
	(2)  what proportion of the  (a) setup and  (b) running costs of the identity cards scheme will be funded by (i) her Department and (ii) from fees charged for identity cards;
	(3)  how much of her Department's departmental expenditure limit budget will be spent on the identity cards programme in  (a) 2008-09,  (b) 2009-10 and  (c) 2010-11.

Meg Hillier: Between the financial years 2003-2004 and 2005-2006, 41.1 million was spent by the identity cards programme in total.
	Since the merger of the Home Office identity cards programme and the UK Passport Service to create the Identity and Passport Service on 1 of April 2006, projects to deliver biometric passports, identity cards and other improvements have been necessarily combined. As much of the functionality needed to implement identity cards is also required for the implementation of biometric passports, this is the most cost-effective way to deliver these initiatives.
	Much of the work conducted by Identity and Passport Service cannot be categorised, both financially and operationally, as contributing towards either the introduction of biometric passports or identity cards alone. The work is accounted for as future development projects which in the 2006-07 financial year amounted to 30.9 million.
	Section 37 of the Identity Cards Act 2006 requires the Secretary of State to lay a report before Parliament every six months which details an updated figure for the cost of the national identity scheme over the following 10 years. The latest cost report was laid before Parliament on 10 May 2007,  Official Report, column 24W) and can be found at:
	http://www.identitycards.gov.uk/downloads/2007-05-10CostReport.pdf
	I would refer the hon. Member to that report. The next cost report will be laid in November 2007.
	The costs of issuing passports and identity cards to British Nationals will be predominantly covered by fee income. The final fee schedule for these products has yet to be finalised.

Illegal Immigrants

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the number of people who entered the UK illegally in 2006; what discussions she has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the effect of those entrants on the UK economy; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: No Government has ever been able to produce an accurate figure for the number of people who have entered the country illegally. By its very nature it is impossible to quantify accurately, and that remains the case.
	Ministers routinely discuss matters that may be of interest across their respective Departments. In addition, the Government have set up the Migration Impacts Forum to provide evidence to Government on the impacts of migration and produce best practice in dealing with these impacts. This forum is chaired jointly by Ministers from the Home Office and the Department for Communities and Local Government.

Illegal Immigrants: Prisoners

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what her estimate is of the number of foreign former prisoners who will be in immigration removal centres in January 2008.

Liam Byrne: The number of foreign national prisoners who will be detained pending their removal in 2008 will depend on a number of factors throughout the criminal justice system, including the sentencing of foreign nationals and agreement from Parliament on the current provisions on automatic deportation contained in the current UK Borders Bill.

Immigration

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which European Economic Area law, as referred to in fax reference M1016235 dated 18 April 2007 from the Border and Immigration Agency MPs' hotline to the hon. Member for Cheltenham, regulates the processing of leave to remain applications; what the maximum time allowed under this law is for an application to be processed; whether this law requires passports to be processed within the specified time; and how many applications have taken longer than the specified time in each of the last five years.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 25 June 2007
	 Directive 2004/38/EC regulates the processing of any application by a family member of an European Economic Area (EEA) National who is a third country national for a residence card or a permanent residence card.
	The maximum period allowed for these applications to be dealt with is six months of submission of an application.
	Although the Applicant is required to submit evidence of their identity with their application, their passport does not need to be retained whilst their application is processed.
	In order to process an application the Applicant needs to provide the documentation essential to that application, however if an applicant fails to provide documentation essential to the application it may not be possible to complete the case within the specified time limit.
	A table showing the number of applications received and those that have taken longer than the specified time in each of the last five years is as follows:
	
		
			  Case creation date for non-charged non EEA family members (period 1 January 2002 to 31 December 2006 
			   Number cases created  Number of cases made target  Made 6 months target (Percentage)  Number of cases missed  Missed 6 months target (Percentage ) 
			 2002 (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) 
			 2003 18,948 17,925 94.60 1,023 5.40 
			 2004 25,755 23,609 91.67 2,146 8.33 
			 2005 29,024 26,662 91.86 2,362 8.14 
			 2006 30,672 24,522 79.95 6,150 20.05 
			 Total 104,399 92,718  11,681  
			 (1 )Reliable data for this year is not available.  Notes: 1. Increase due to rising intake, different counting arrangements and additional measures to tackle abuse. 2. The data is not provided under National Statistic protocols. It has been derived from local management information and is therefore provisional and subject to change.  Source:: The figures provided above are taken from G-CID. The 6 months turnaround times based on 136 working days.

Leave to Remain

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 9 January 2007,  Official Report, columns 538-39W, on leave to remain, how many of the approximately 20,000 people awaiting decisions on their applications applied in each of the years  (a) 2002,  (b) 2003,  (c) 2004 and  (d) 2005.

Liam Byrne: The information provided in the answer of 9 January 2007,  Official Report, columns 538-39W, was based on data from between 2002 and 2005 and included those applicants who had applied and were still awaiting a decision.
	The current position on those outstanding cases is set out in the following table.
	
		
			  Non-asylum indefinite leave to remain applicati ons awaiting decisions from 2002  to 2005 
			   Number 
			 2002 64 
			 2003 362 
			 2004 2,904 
			 2005 3,679 
			  Note: The data is not provided under the National Statistics protocols. It has been derived from local management information and is therefore provisional and is subject to change.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she will reply to the letter of 10 September from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton on Lessie Baterra.

Liam Byrne: I wrote to my right hon. Friend on the 23 October 2007.

Members: Correspondence

John Penrose: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she will reply to the letters of  (a) 21 June and  (b) 3 August from the hon. Member for Weston-Super-Mare on behalf of a constituent about immigration rules.

Liam Byrne: I responded to the hon. Member for Weston-super-Mare on 25( )October 2007.

Members: Written Questions

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she expects to make a substantive reply to question 156168, on the World Scout Jamboree, tabled by the hon. Member for West Chelmsford on 5 October for named day answer on 8 October.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 24 October 2007
	I replied to the hon. Member on 25 October 2007,  Official Report, column 457W.

Mikhail Cherney

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what basis Mikhail Cherney was subject to investigation by the National Criminal Intelligence Service.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 24 October 2007
	It is not the Serious Organised Crime Agency's policy to comment or give details of individual cases.

Missing Persons: Children

Helen Southworth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many children were reported missing to the police in the six months from January to June 2007, broken down by police authority area.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 25 October 2007
	At the present time, the information requested for individual police forces is not collated centrally. Working with the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO), the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) has been tasked with setting up a new and enhanced Police National Missing Person's Bureau and to identify and promulgate good practice in the capture, recording and sharing of data around missing persons. I am advised by the NPIA chief executive that the Bureau is expected to begin its work in 2008-09.

National Policing Improvement Agency: Finance

Helen Southworth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what budget has been allocated to the National Police Improvements Agency in 2007-08; and what this figure would be as an annualised amount.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 25 October 2007
	 The National Policing Improvement Agency has been allocated 410.5 million of resource budget and 202.6 million of capital budget for 2007-08. When adjustments are made for mid-year transfers in 2007-08, this equates to 411.3 million of annualised resource budget. It is not possible to provide annualised capital amounts as this can vary depending on the projects under development.

National Policing Improvement Agency: Missing Persons

Helen Southworth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what budget is allocated to the National Policing Improvement Agency for 2007-08 in relation to missing persons; and what this equates to as an annualised amount.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 25 October 2007
	 The National Policing Improvement Agency has been allocated 261,000 of resource budget for 2007-08 in relation to missing persons.

Passports: Interviews

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many personal passport interviews had been completed by 1 July 2007.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 12 September 2007
	The Identity and Passport Service completed 531 interviews for first-time adult passport customers by 1 July 2007. All the interviews undertaken in this period were conducted as part of the Passport Interviews Trial.

Personation

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many incidents of identity theft were reported to the police in each of the last 10 years; and how many of those incidents resulted in  (a) an arrest and  (b) a conviction.

Meg Hillier: The information requested is not available centrally. The use of another person's identification details (or the use of false identification details), often referred to as identity theft, is not in itself an offence in law. It is the action that is undertaken using those identification details that needs to be considered in respect of whether an offence has occurred and should be recorded.

Police: Bedfordshire

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department is taking to improve the performance of Bedfordshire Police following the Police Performance Assessment 2006-07 produced by her Department and HM Inspectorate of Constabulary; and if she will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: Bedfordshire in common with all constabularies is always seeking to improve performance, and the Home Office and HMIC will continue to help Bedfordshireand other forcesto address the issues highlighted in the assessments. The chief constable is already addressing the issues raised by the assessment and has given her personal commitment to improving performance.

Police: Bureaucracy

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she  (a) has taken and  (b) plans to take to reduce the amount of paperwork required to be undertaken by a police officer to process an arrest; what recent representations she has received on this from (i) members of police forces, (ii) chief constables and (iii) members of the public; and if she will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: The disposal of a case following arrest may be release, a penalty notice for disorder (PNDwhich may be issued on the street) or holding an individual in custody. The issuing of PNDs itself provides a sanction with minimum paperwork.
	Following an arrest, the arresting officer is only required to record information about the nature and circumstances of the offence leading to the arrest, the reason(s) why arrest was necessary, the giving of the caution and anything said by the person at the time of arrest in their pocket book. In custody, the arresting officer's grounds for arrest do not need to be given to the custody officer in person, they may be given remotely or via a third party, enabling the officer to remain on front-line duty.
	Initiatives currently under way include the current review of the operation of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984. Electronic fingerprinting technology has been introduced in police stations and time has been saved using video identity parades. We plan to build on these steps with a new 50 million capital fund to give the police wider access to paperwork-saving technologies such as mobile data and hand held fingerprinting units.
	Representations from members of police forces, chief constables and the public on the PACE review were published on 31 July this year as part of ongoing consultation. Further representations on reducing unnecessary paperwork and improving business processes are also being sought from police officers, chief constables and others as part of the independent review of policing being undertaken by Sir Ronnie Flanagan. His interim report was published on 12 September and his final report is expected in the new year.

Police: Bureaucracy

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research has been  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated by her Department on the average amount of time spent by a police officer on processing arrests; and if she will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: In 2001, the Home Office published a report called 'Diary of a Police Officer', which provided a detailed understanding of what is involved in the 'typical' shift of a police officer. Processing arrests was estimated by officers in the study to take between two and eight hours, depending on the complexity of the case. The report detailing these findings can be found by following this link:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/prgpdfs/prs149.pdf

Police: Bureaucracy

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) pages of forms and  (b) forms were required to be completed by a police officer on arresting a suspect (i) in 1983, (ii) in 1984, (iii) in 1985, (iv) in 1992, (v) in January 1997, (vi) in 1998, (vii) in each year since 2001 and (viii) at the most recent date for which information is available.

Tony McNulty: Information is not available in the format requested as the number of forms and pages required to be completed by a police officer on arresting a suspect is dependent on the circumstances of arrest in each individual case.
	Some administrative work is an inevitable and necessary part of the criminal justice system in order to protect the public and deliver an openly accountable service. It will always be necessary for police officers to undertake some paperwork as part of their duties.

Police: Finance

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average  (a) Band D and  (b) per dwelling council tax police precept was in (i) England and (ii) England and Wales in each year since 1997-98.

Tony McNulty: The information requested is set out in the following table:
	
		
			  Average Band D and Per Dwelling Council Tax Police Precept for England and Wales 
			   
			   England  Wales  England and Wales 
			  Band D Per dwelling Band D Per dwelling Band D Per dwelling 
			 1997-98 55.1 45.2 48.9 39.7 54.7 44.9 
			 1998-99 59.3 48.7 57.0 46.6 59.2 48.6 
			 1999-2000 64.3 52.9 65.9 54.4 64.4 52.7 
			 2000-01 69.3 57.0 79.8 66.6 69.9 57.5 
			 2001-02 77.8 63.9 85.5 71.9 78.2 64.3 
			 2002-03 89.5 73.8 93.9 73.5 89.8 73.8 
			 2003-04 112.2 92.3 115.6 91.5 112.4 92.6 
			 2004-05 125.9 104.3 133.3 106.8 126.3 104.4 
			 2005-06 132.6 110.3 138.2 116.8 132.9 110.7 
			 2006-07 140.0 116.3 145.1 124.2 140.3 116.8 
			 2007-08 148.0 123.4 153.0 132.5 148.2 124.0 
			  Source:  Communities and Local Government; and National Assembly for Wales.   Note:  England figures exclude the City of London.

Police: Finance

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment her Department has made of the implications of the Local Government Finance Formula Grant Distribution for policing in Surrey.

Tony McNulty: The consultation on formula grant distribution closed on 10 October. We will take into account all written representations in reaching final decisions on the funding settlement, including those from Surrey police authority. We expect to announce details of the provisional police funding settlement for the CSR years, 2008-09 to 2010-11, in late November/early December as in previous years.

Police: Informers

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will take steps to bring under parliamentary scrutiny the money spent by police forces on paying police informants.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 23 October 2007
	No.

Police: Liverpool

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers were deployed from the Wirral into Liverpool in  (a) the last two months,  (b) the last six months and  (c) the last 12 months.

Tony McNulty: This is an operational matter for the chief constable of Merseyside police.

Police: Racial Discrimination

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action the Government has taken to eradicate racism within the police force.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 19 October 2007
	 The Government have a statutory duty under the Race Relations (Amendment) Act to eradicate racism by the promotion of equality of opportunity and good race relations. Every police force is also bound by this duty and must have a Race Equality Scheme in place.
	The recommendations of the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry and the work of the Lawrence Steering Group, now disbanded, have been central to the real progress on race which has been made in the police service. Together with the Commission for Equality and Human Rights (formerly the CRE) and the Independent Police Complaints Commission, the procedures and practices within the police service have been strengthened to ensure that race equality is embedded within the work force and across all policing activities.
	A number of initiatives have been adopted as part of the Race Equality programme to modernise the police service's organisational culture and include:
	more in-force training and the move away from residential group training with the new Initial Police Learning and Development Programme;
	taking probationers in training out into the community earlier and giving them more exposure to community groups;
	changes in the assessment process with greater emphasis on recruits demonstrating the competencies for race and diversity (which must be met and at a higher level than other competencies);
	more focused training of assessors to assess the required competencies; and
	increased monitoring of all processes and practices.

Police: Working Conditions

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what criteria her Department uses when assessing the percentage of an officer's time which is spent on the front line; and if she will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: Frontline policing is measured using the Frontline Policing Measure, which is based on the proportion of police officers engaged in frontline activities.
	The Frontline Policing Measure is not a measure of visibility. It measures time spent carrying out core policing duties. Examples of roles considered as front line include: burglary, CID, firearms, community safety, dogs, drugs, foot/car/beat patrol, hate crime, mounted police, special branch, marine, air, underwater, and vice.
	CID, foot/car/beat patrol and traffic are also subject to activity analysis to determine more accurately the proportion of officer time spent on frontline activities within those roles. Examples of frontline activity include dealing with incidents, visible patrol, searches, dealing with informants, interviewing suspects and special operations.
	Full details of the formula used to calculated the measure and complete lists of frontline roles and activities are contained in the 'Guidance on Statutory Performance Indicators for Policing 2006-07', published by the Police Standards Unit and available at:
	http://police.homeoffice.gov.uk/news-andpublications/publication/performance-and-measurement/SPI_Technical_Guidelines_204.pdf?view=Binary

Racial Discrimination: Metropolitan Police

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will make a statement on the recent findings of the Employment Tribunal on racial discrimination in the Metropolitan Police Force.

Tony McNulty: This is a matter for the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police.

Rape: Convictions

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the percentage conviction rate was for reported rapes in each police force area in England and Wales in the last period for which figures are available.

Tony McNulty: The information is not available in the form requested.

Rescue Services: West Yorkshire

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what responsibilities West Yorkshire Police Service has in relation to water rescue; and if she will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: This is a matter for the chief constable of West Yorkshire police.

Video Games: Children

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her Department's 2001 review of the effect of computer games on young children cost.

David Hanson: I have been asked to reply.
	This was an internal piece of work conducted in 2001 and there was no cost to the Department other than internal staff time.

Written Questions

Humfrey Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she will reply to question 157063, on deportation recommendations, tabled by the hon. Member for Woking on 10 October.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 25 October 2007
	I replied to the hon. Member on 24 October 2007,  Official Report, column 344W.

DEFENCE

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 8 October 2007,  Official Report, column 62W, on Afghanistan: peacekeeping operations, how many cases of theft are being investigated; and on what date each investigation began.

Des Browne: There are three open investigations into thefts from supplies to UK military forces in Afghanistan. The dates that the allegations were made are: 12 July 2007, 23 September 2007 and 11 October 2007.
	The Royal Military Police have conducted an assessment of the threats to supplies in transit and suggested a number of improvements to the shipping process. They are providing a specially trained crime reduction specialist to the current and future Herrick roulements to assist in implementing these.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 8 October 2007,  Official Report, column 62W, on Afghanistan: peacekeeping operations, for what reason his Department did not keep information on the number of reported thefts before October 2006.

Des Browne: Records of allegations of theft since UK forces deployed to Afghanistan in 2001 have been maintained by the relevant investigating unit of the Royal Military Police (RMP) but are not recorded centrally. UK forces deployed in smaller numbers, not always in formed units, prior to 2006 and may, for example, have used the policing functions provided by ISAF coalition partners.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 8 October 2007,  Official Report, column 62W, on Afghanistan: peacekeeping operations, if he will give details of the eight reports of theft that have been confirmed.

Des Browne: The details of thefts from supplies en route to UK forces in Afghanistan reported between April 2006 and February 2007 are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Date of report  Unit  Items 
			 6 April 2006 Royal Logistics Corps Personal and Military equipment 
			 29 April 2006 16 Air Assault Brigade Military equipment 
			 17 May 2006 21 AA Military equipment 
			 7 June 2006 148 Royal Logistics Corps EFI Military property 
			 21 August 2006 3 Battalion, Parachute Regiment Military equipment 
			 15 October 2006 CLR, Royal Marines Personal and Military equipment 
			 17 October 2006 3 Commando Brigade Petrol, oil, lubricants 
			 13 February 2007 3 CDO Bde, Royal Logistics Corps Petrol, oil, lubricants

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the tog rating is of the sleeping bags issued to troops in Afghanistan; and how many have been issued.

Bob Ainsworth: holding answer 22 October 2007
	Temperate sleeping bags are issued to all personnel as part of their standard kit. Additionally, troops deploying to Afghanistan during the hotter months are issued with the warm weather sleeping bag as part of their personal kit, prior to deployment.
	The Department does not procure sleeping bags to a tog rating. The temperate sleeping bag is designed to allow 6 hours sleep under normal conditions down to a temperature of -19 degrees Celsius. Under survival conditions, the sleeping bag is designed to allow 6 hours rest at -32 degrees Celsius, with clothing appropriate to the conditions.
	The warm weather sleeping bag is suitable for desert and jungle use. Over the past 12 months, 28,534 warm weather sleeping bags have been issued in all areas including Afghanistan.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans there are to change the level of the UK's military contribution to Afghanistan.

Des Browne: holding answer 25 October 2007
	 There are no plans to change the level of the UK's military contribution to Afghanistan.

Air Force: Deployment

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he will provide a full answer to question 155132, on Royal Air Force flights, tabled by the hon. Member for Kettering on 5 September for named day answer on 12 September.

Des Browne: I replied to the hon. Member today.

Armed Forces: Cadets

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 16 October 2007,  Official Report, column 1016W, on schools: cadets, how many  (a) Army,  (b) Royal Navy and  (c) Royal Air Force Combined Cadet Force Units there were in each of the last 10 years; and how many of these units were affiliated to state sector schools in each of the last 10 years.

Derek Twigg: Each school combined cadet force contingent can be made up of one or more single-service contingents. The total number of single-service contingents and the number in state sector schools is:
	
		
			   Total number of single-service sections  Number of single-service sections in state sector schools 
			   RN( 1)  Army  RAF  RN  Army  RAF 
			 1998 121 240 180 12 44 35 
			 1999 122 238 182 10 45 35 
			 2000 118 236 185 10 46 37 
			 2001 119 240 186 10 47 38 
			 2002 121 243 189 11 49 40 
			 2003 121 247 190 11 50 40 
			 2004 122 249 190 11 51 40 
			 2005 122 250 193 11 51 41 
			 2006 125 251 194 11 52 40 
			 2007 128 259 199 12 60 41 
			 (1) For the period shown, in addition to the RN sections there have been 18 Royal Marine sections, all based within independent schools.

Armed Forces: Discharges

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what the voluntary outflow exit rates are of each pinch point trade in the armed forces;
	(2)  by what percentage each pinch point trade in the armed forces is exceeding harmony guidelines.

Derek Twigg: Details of pinch point trades exceeding harmony guidelines(1) and voluntary outflow rates in these particular trades are provided in the following tables(2).
	Some pinch points record no harmony breaches. These groups, often with very small populations of specialists, have to be managed on a tri-Service basis in order to maintain harmony. This is successfully done by the use of reserves or contractors to solve the problem in the short term or to call upon the other two Services to assist. For example, the Defence Medical Services may deploy tri-Service teams to field hospitals on operations. This enables individuals' harmony to be maintained and enables Force Commanders to retain operational capability, although undermanning in the trade still means it is categorised as a pinch point.
	Voluntary outflow is not directly linked to frequency of deployments. People leave the Services for a whole number of reasons; frequency of deployments is just one.
	(1 )Each Service has its own harmony guidelines. The Royal Navy measures time away over a three-year period, the Army over a 30-month period and the RAF over a 12-month period.
	(2 )The most recent figures have been provided for each Service.
	
		
			  Royal Navy Pinch p oint 
			  Percentage 
			   Percentage of current (1 July) population breaching harmony guidelines  Voluntary outflow rates over last 12 months( 1) 
			 Able Bodied Seaman 0.7 6.5 
			 Merlin Pilots 0.0 4.0 
			 Merlin Observers 0.0 1.7 
			 Merlin Aircrew 0.0 5.0 
			 Leading Hand Warfare 0.2 4.4 
			 Able Bodied Diver 0.0 2.4 
			 Royal Marines Other Ranks 0.1 6.3 
			 Leading Hand Air Engineering Technician 0.0 2.0 
			 Petty Officer Mine Warfare 0.0 5.4 
			 Able Bodied Warfare Specialist (Sensors Submariner) 0.7 4.3 
			 Able Bodied Warfare Specialist (Tactical Submariner) 0.0 6.5 
			 Strategic Weapons Systems Junior Ranks 0.0 3.3 
			 Nuclear Watchkeepers 0.0 2.7 
			 (1) Voluntary outflow rates based as percentage of average population over period 1 July 2006 to 1 July 2007. 
		
	
	
		
			  ArmyPinch  p ointSummary over 30 months 
			  Percentage 
			  Trade  Percentage of strength over individual harmony guidelines as at January 2007  Voluntary outflow rates a s at February 2007 (12 February 2006 to 12 February 2007) 
			  UK Trained Army Personnel   
			 Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers Vehicle Mechanic 1 33.5 5.8 
			 Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers Recovery Mechanic 31.2 5.7 
			 Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers Armourer 26.9 5.1 
			 Royal Engineers Clerk of Works 17.1 1.8 
			 Army Medical ServiceGeneral Surgeon 16.7 0.0 
			 Royal Engineers Mechanical Engineer Fitter 14.0 8.2 
			 Royal Logistics Corps Ammunition Technician 13.6 4.2 
			 Royal Logistic CorpsPostal and Courier Operator 11.6 5.9 
			 Royal Logistics Corps Movement Controller 11.0 2.9 
			 Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing CorpsRadiographer 10.0 10.4 
			 Royal Engineers Military Engineer Geographic 8.9 5.8 
			 Intelligence Operational Military Intelligence 8.6 5.0 
			 Royal Engineers Explosive Ordnance Disposal 2 8.2 3.8 
			 Royal Signals Information Systems Engineer 7.6 3.7 
			 Royal Engineers Command, Control and Communications Systems 7.6 9.5 
			 Army Medical ServiceGeneral Medical Practitioner 5.1 5.8 
			 Royal Logistics Corps Chef 4.8 2.5 
			 Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps Operation Department Practitioner 3.7 3.6 
			 Royal Logistics Corps Petroleum Operator 3.6 6.3 
			 Army Medical ServiceGeneral Duties Nurse Soldier 3.4 10.3 
			 Royal ArtilleryOperator Unmanned Aerial Vehicle 1.1 10.9 
			 Army Medical ServiceNurse Officer 0.8 8.5 
			 Army Medical ServiceAE Nurse Officer 0.0 0.0 
			 Army Medical ServiceAnaesthetist 0.0 0.0 
			 Army Medical ServiceRadiologist 0.0 0.0 
			 Army Medical ServiceOrthopaedic Surgeon 0.0 0.0 
			 Army Medical ServiceIntensive Therapy Unit Nurse Officer 0.0 0.0 
		
	
	
		
			  RAFOperational pinch point 
			  Percentage 
			  Trade  Separated Service( 1)  as at 1 May 2007  Voluntary outflow rates as at 1 May 2007 
			 Medical 9.9 2.3 
			 Operational Support (Intelligence) 9.2 2.1 
			 Operational Support (RAF Regiment) 20.4 2.7 
			 Operational Support (Provost/Security) 11.9 5.1 
			 Princess Mary's RAF Nursing Service 10.0 2.3 
			 Weapons Support (Air Load Master) 4.4 0.6 
			 Weapons Support (Linguist) 6.5 0.0 
			 Air Traffic ControlSergeant 3.2 2.3 
			 Flight Operations Manager/Flight Operations AssistantSergeant 4.4 4.8 
			 Firefighter 12.1 10.6 
			 Gunner 22.2 5.3 
			 Movements Operations/Controller 8.6 3.4 
			 Motor Transport Technician 14.1 2.5 
			 RAF Police 10.8 4.2 
			 Staff Nurse (RGN) AE 8.3 6.4 
			 (1) The percentage of personnel within that trade that have completed more than 125 days separated service on operational deployments.

Armed Forces: Fees and Charges

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether  (a) officers and  (b) sergeants on six-month operational tours have to pay a UK mess bill.

Derek Twigg: Queen's Regulations require Army officers and non-commissioned personnel in the rank of sergeant and above to be mess members at all times. This includes those on Operations. As such, they continue to pay a monthly subscription fee to their UK mess to cover the fixed overheads which arise irrespective of whether mess members are deployed e.g. staff costs and utilities.

Armed Forces: Fund Raising

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether Defence Estates charges commission on the proceeds of fundraising activities undertaken by forces families conducted within the curtilage of its properties; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: holding answer 11 October 2007
	Defence Estates (DE) does not levy any charges against the proceeds of fundraising activities. However, where publicly funded estate facilities are used in support of the fundraising activities, DE is required to assess and recover a charge based on the Department's costs. It is common for these costs to be settled by organisers from the proceeds of the activity.

Armed Forces: Health Services

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the  (a) actual strength,  (b) establishment and  (c) percentage difference between establishment and actual strength is of each specialty of qualified medical personnel in the Army.

Derek Twigg: The following table shows the Army and tri-service requirement for each speciality of medical personnel set against the actual number of trained strength and the percentage difference. This is the endorsed Defence Medical Services manpower requirement announced to Parliament on 27 March 2007,  Official Report, column 74WS.
	There is no question of British forces deploying on military operations without the appropriate medical support. While shortfalls exist in some specialties, they have never resulted in the Defence Medical Services being unable to meet operational commitments. We manage medical deployments on a tri-service basis, allowing the work load to be shared more evenly and maximising capabilities. In addition we make use of reserves and civilian agency contractors and work closely with allies to ensure appropriate medical support is in place.
	
		
			   Army  Tri-service 
			  Speciality  Requirement( 1)  Trained strength( 2)  Percentage difference  Requirement  Trained strength( 3)  Percentage difference 
			 Anaesthetists 50 20 -60.0 97 46 -52.6 
			 Aviation Medicine 0 0 0.0 7 2 -71 A 
			 General Physician 13 8 -38.5 29 16 -44.8 
			 Dermatology 3 1 -66.7 3 1 -66.7 
			 Emergency Medicine 24 11 -54.2 30 16 -46.7 
			 Genitourinary Medicine 3 1 -66.7 3 1 -66.7 
			 Neurologist 3  -100.0 3 1 -66.7 
			 Radiologists 4 1 -75.0 6 6 0.0 
			 Rehabilitation Medicine 6 3 -50.0 12 5 -58.3 
			 General Surgeons 17 10 -41.2 39 20 -48.7 
			 Burns and Plastic Surgeons 3 4 +33.3 6 6 0.0 
			 Ear Nose and Throat Surgeons 2 3 +50.0 5 7 +40.0 
			 Gynaecological Surgeons 3 0 -100.0 3 0 100.0 
			 Maxillofacial Surgeons 5 4 -20.0 9 7 -22.2 
			 Neurosurgeons 3 0 -100.0 3 0 -100.0 
			 Ophthalmologic Surgeons 3 3 0.0 5 5 0.0 
			 Orthopaedic Surgeons 14 7 -50.0 28 21 -25.0 
			 Pathologists 2 0 -100.0 7 2 -71.4 
			 Haematology 3 0 -100.0 3 0 -100.0 
			 Microbiology 3 0 -100.0 4 1 -75.0 
			 Psychiatrists 16 6 -62.5 28 13 -53.6 
			 Paediatrics 0 1 +100.0 0 1 +100.0 
			 Urology 0 0 0.0 0 1 +100.0 
			 Occupational Medicine 12 18 +50.0 32 34 +6.3 
			 Diving 0 0 0.0 4 3 -25.0 
			 Radiation 0 0 0.0 3 3 0.0 
			 Aviation (RN and Army) 9 5 -44.4 13 9 -30.8 
			 Public Health 5 7 +40.0 6 11 +83.0 
			 General Medical Practitioner 155 155 0.0 321 296 -7.8 
			 GDMO 68 100 +47.1 107 100 -6.5 
			 Dentist 136 128 -5.9 249 244 -2.0 
			 (1) Requirement figure includes command and staff and manning and training margin (MTM) (2) Source dataDefence Medical Services Quarterly manning returns 1 April 2007 (3) Includes qualified medical personnel who are in career directed professional training

Armed Forces: Health Services

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many beds in military wards and hospitals there were in each month since May 1997; and how many of those were occupied by military personnel injured in the line of duty in each of those months.

Derek Twigg: The 1994 Defence Costs Study led to the closure of all the UK's military hospitals, with the exception of the Royal Hospital Haslar (which is now no longer a military unit). In May 1997, the only other remaining military hospital in the UK was the Duchess of Kent Military Hospital in Catterick (which closed as a centre for physical injuries and illnesses in 1999). The majority of patients treated at all the UK's military hospitals were civilians.
	Records are not held centrally of where military patients are being treated on any one day: figures could be obtained only by contacting each individual Service unit, which would entail disproportionate cost.

Armed Forces: Housing

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answers of 3 September 2007,  Official Report, column 1608W, on armed forces: housing, how many  (a) service family accommodations and  (b) single living accommodations in (i) Cyprus, (ii) Gibraltar and (iii) Germany are in each Standard for Condition category.

Derek Twigg: Service Families Accommodation (SFA) and Single Living Accommodation (SLA) in Cyprus, Gibraltar and Germany are all assessed by Grade for Charge rather than Standard for Condition. Grade for Charge takes into account condition but also reflects other factors such as location and closeness to amenities.
	As at October 2007, the total number of SFA by Grade is as follows:
	
		
			  Grade  Cyprus  Gibraltar  Germany 
			 1 0 82 2,069 
			 2 504 66 5,130 
			 3 140 90 4,622 
			 4 1,187 239 1,219 
			 Total 2,233 477 13,040 
		
	
	As at October 2007, the total number of SLA by Grade is as follows:
	
		
			  Grade  Cyprus  Gibraltar  Germany 
			 1 60 6 1,643 
			 2 0 90 1,316 
			 3 423 0 3,434 
			 4 2,789 462 9,623 
			 Total 3,272 558 16,016

Armed Forces: Housing

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 3 September 2007,  Official Report, column 1608W, on armed forces: housing, what the criteria are for classification within each Grade for Change category.

Derek Twigg: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) 4-tier grading (4TG) system provides a means of determining accommodation charges for differing standards of service family accommodation (SFA) and single living accommodation (SLA) across the estate. A number of criteria are assessed, relating to scaling, condition, provision of key local amenities and environmental factors. Accommodation charges for grades 1-4 are set by the Armed Forces' Pay Review Body.
	It is a condition of service in recognition of their inherently mobile lifestyles, frequently remote bases and terms of service that regular service personnel are provided with a satisfactory standard of accommodation either at, or within an appropriate distance from their duty unit. Where a standard is not, or cannot be met, the deficiency is awarded a number of deficiency points. Such points determine the grade for charge as described in the following table:
	
		
			  Net overall points score  (deficiency points)  Accommodation grade 
			 0-4 1 
			 5-9 2 
			 10-14 3 
			 15-25 4 
		
	
	In a limited number of cases, where the specification of accommodation (principally arising from new build projects) is exceptionally high, positive points may be awarded to offset deficiency points for a balanced and fair grading to be determined.
	Deficiency and positive points are determined as follows:
	
		
			   Points scored 
			  Scaling related deficiencies  
			 Reduced floor area 5-10 
			 Rooms below scale (1)2 
			 Space to accommodate scaled furniture items (1)3, (2)9 
			 Access to main bathroom or only WC 5 
			 Liftsmulti storey buildings (2)5 
			 Scaling of fixtures and fittings 1-5 
			   
			  Condition related deficiencies  
			 Condition of structure 0.5-3 
			 Condition of decoration, carpets, fixtures and fittings 1-2 
			 Damp (2)5 
			 Loft insulation 1 
			 Double/secondary glazing (2)5 
			 Heating (2)5 
			 Utility usage above the normal assumed consumption 5 
			 Air conditioning (tropical/sub tropical areas only where such systems exist) (2)5 
			   
			  Non property related factors  
			 Reasonable access to essential amenities (2)5 
			 Environmental factors 1-5 
			   
			  Positive facilities recognised in grading regime  
			 En-suite facilities 2 
			 Additional WC to scale 1 
			 Utility room 2 
			 (1) Per room (2) Maximum 
		
	
	Accommodation is subject to a rolling audit programme under which it should be reviewed by a grading board at least once every four years, or on completion of significant improvement work. An occupant can challenge the grading of their accommodation at initial occupancy if they believe an error has been made.

Armed Forces: Housing

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much was spent on substitute services accommodation in each year since 2002.

Derek Twigg: The amount spent on substitute service family accommodation (SSFA) and substitute single service accommodation (SSSA) is shown in the following table.
	
		
			   million 
			   SSSA  SSFA  Total 
			 2002 26.5 8.9 35.4 
			 2003 28.8 9.1 37.9 
			 2004 32.9 11.0 43.9 
			 2005 36.8 13.0 49.8 
			 2006 40.5 15.0 55.5 
			 2007 (YTD) 36.5 11.0 47.5 
			 Totals 202.0 68.0 270.0 
		
	
	The MOD is required to accommodate entitled personnel within 10 miles of their duty station (or 20 miles with permission of their Service Commander). Where no suitable service family accommodation (SFA) can be found, SSFA is offered within the appropriate distance from a duty station. Given the likely disruption to dependants if there were frequent moves, personnel allocated SSFA are entitled to retain it for the duration of their tour.
	SSSA is granted to entitled personnel requiring single accommodation when single living accommodation (SLA) is not available at or close to an individual's place of work. Wherever possible, Defence Estates uses vacant SFA to meet demands for SLA.

Armed Forces: Manpower

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will estimate the cost to his Department if all three services were at their target manning liability.

Bob Ainsworth: holding answer 22 October 2007
	The pay bill for Service manpower for financial year 2007-08 is estimated to be some 6.7 billion. As at 1 April 2007, the net additional cost if all three Services had been at their target manning liability would have been 59 million per year, or less than one per cent. of the overall pay bill.

Armed Forces: Manpower

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the required liability of all three services would have needed to be for Harmony guidelines to have been met since January 2006.

Bob Ainsworth: holding answer 22 October 2007
	It is not possible to quantify what liability would have been needed for all three Services to maintain all personnel within harmony guidelines. This is because of a number of factors:
	a. There are two sets of Harmony Guidelines. Unit harmony is applied to unitssuch as a ship or an infantry battalionand governs our force structure. Individual harmony is intended to indicate the degree of turbulence experienced by individuals due to their service in the armed forces and acknowledges that people move between units.
	b. Due to the particular requirements of operational commitments, at any given time some units may fail to achieve their harmony guidelines while others will not be in such demand and therefore exceed their harmony guidelines. It is therefore perfectly possible to have the required number of people overall in the Services, but face specific shortfalls in certain specialisations. The MOD actively manages such 'pinch points' and has re-roled some units to attempt to mitigate some of the more acute harmony shortfalls.
	c. The MOD focuses its effort on, wherever possible, seeking to head off harmony problems before they arise, by looking ahead into the mid-term. As a result, detailed management information on historic harmony achievement is not available. This means it is not possible to produce an extrapolation of the number of additional people required to deliver harmony guidelines.

Armed Forces: Members

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what guidance has been given to regimental commanding officers about the circumstances in which they may speak to their constituency hon. Members;
	(2)  whether Army officers are required to seek permission from his Department before holding discussions with hon. and right hon. Members.

Derek Twigg: Guidance for regimental commanding officers, and all other members of the Army about speaking to a Member of Parliament (MP) is contained within Queen's Regulations. These require permission to be sought via the Chain of Command, appropriate MOD officials and Ministers for discussions about Army or defence-related issues. Members of the Army do, however, have the same rights as any member of the public to speak to their constituency MP at any time about a private life matter.

Armed Forces: Multiple Sclerosis

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many  (a) serving and  (b) retired service personnel suffering from Multiple Sclerosis have Multiple Sclerosis (i) wholly and (ii) partially attributable to their work in the armed forces.

Derek Twigg: Multiple Sclerosis is a disorder whose cause is currently unknown. There is no published peer-reviewed scientific or medical evidence to suggest any link with particular occupations including between any factor of service in the armed forces and development of Multiple Sclerosis.
	Information is not held centrally as to the total number of serving and retired service personnel suffering from Multiple Sclerosis and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	Records do however show that there are 380 former service personnel currently in receipt of a war disablement pension under the War Pension Scheme (WPS), with an accepted claim for Multiple Sclerosis. The records do not identify when these pensioners were diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis or whether it was the reason for their discharge.
	The WPS provides no-fault compensation for all former service personnel disabled as a result of their Service in the armed forces before 6 April 2005. Awards are made under the WPS where, on the individual case facts and under the legislation, a casual link to service can be accepted. The WPS onus and standard of proof mean that casual links may be lawfully recognised which do not reflect contemporary medical evidence. Where a disablement has clinical onset during service and leads to medical discharge, claims are automatically considered. In that situation or where a claim is made within seven years of service termination, entitlement will be certified unless it can be shown by evidence beyond reasonable doubt that service has played no part in the cause or course of the disorder. In these circumstances claims for Multiple Sclerosis may succeed on that basis.
	Any service personnel who develop Multiple Sclerosis in service and are medically discharged may be entitled to ill-health benefits under the terms of their occupational pension scheme.
	Information is not held centrally which can identify former service personnel released on non-medical grounds, who have subsequently been awarded war pensions for suffering the symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis while in service. To obtain the information would involve the examination of individual files which could be done only at disproportionate costthere are currently around 178,000 people in receipt of a war disablement pension.
	No service personnel have been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and awarded attributable benefits under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme. Less than five service personnel have been discharged without benefits. The scheme provides no-fault compensation for all serving and former service personnel for injury/illness caused on or after 6 April 2005. It awards benefits where the evidence shows, on the balance of probabilities, that service is the predominant cause of the injury or disorder.

Armed Forces: Personnel Management

Charles Kennedy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent representations he has received on the operation of the Joint Personnel Administration; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: Since roll-out of the Joint Personnel Administration system in March 2006, 66 representations have been received from MPs in the form of ministerial correspondence.

Armed Forces: Procurement

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the  (a) lowest and  (b) average percentage spend was of procurement projects in each category (i) A, (ii) B, (iii) C, (iv) D and (v) all categories in the financial year 2006-07.

Bob Ainsworth: It is unclear the precise information the hon. Member is requesting, however, I am able to provide the following:
	
		
			  Category  Lowest speed (percentage)  Average speed (percentage)  Number of projects 
			 A 0.002 2.128 47 
			 B 0.003 2.564 39 
			 C 0.056 1.923 52 
			 D 0.003 0.752 133 
			 All 0.001 0.369 271

Armed Forces: Suicide

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many suicides there were among British armed services personnel in each of the last 10 years for which records are available, broken down by service; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: The number of coroner-confirmed suicides and open verdicts deaths that occurred among UK regular service personnel while in service during the period 1997 to 2006 is provided in the following table.
	
		
			  Suicides and open verdict deaths( l) , UK regular armed forces, 1997 to 2006 
			   All  Naval Service( 2)  Army  RAF 
			 All 204 34 132 38 
			 1997 26 4 17 5 
			 1998 19 2 13 4 
			 1999 27 6 17 4 
			 2000 36 6 22 8 
			 2001 15 2 11 2 
			 2002 14 4 10 0 
			 2003 25 3 15 7 
			 2004 19 2 15 2 
			 2005 19 5 10 4 
			 2006(3) 4 0 2 2 
			 (1) The figures provided do not include any violent or unnatural deaths that have not yet been fully investigated by a coroner (England, Wales and Northern Ireland) or the procurator fiscal (Scotland). (2) Naval service includes Royal Navy and Royal Marines. (3) The figures for 2006 are provisional as we are still awaiting the outcome of a number of Coroners' investigations.

Armoured Fighting Vehicles

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the Government plan to procure sufficient Mastiff vehicles to replace all of the Land Rovers currently in use in theatre.

Bob Ainsworth: holding answer 16 October 2007
	Commanders need a range of vehicles of varying protection, mobility and profile to be used as they see fit, to meet the mission and counter the threat. Mastiff fulfils a complementary role to the other vehicles we use on operations.
	The additional Mastiff vehicles announced by the Prime Minister on 8 October 2007,  Official Report, column 24, will provide a welcome addition to the protected patrol vehicle fleet.

Armoured Fighting Vehicles

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the Supercat MWMIK vehicle will be used on  (a) conventional patrols and  (b) convoy duty.

Bob Ainsworth: It will be for commanders on the ground to determine how new vehicles deployed on operations will be used.
	By deploying a suite of new capabilities to Afghanistan and Iraq over the last year, we have provided a greater range of capabilities from which commanders can choose the most suitable vehicles for a particular task.

Armoured Fighting Vehicles: Afghanistan

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 22 October 2007,  Official Report, column 7, on Afghanistan, on what basis the figure of 400 Mastiff vehicles was determined; and if he will make a statement.

Des Browne: The planned procurement of some 280 Mastiff vehicles, when combined with other new protected vehicles, will deliver more than 400 new protected patrol vehicles to our forces. This represents a significant investment in the protection and operational effectiveness of our troops and, coupled with the delivery of enhanced protection to our in service vehicles like Bulldog, Viking and Warrior, will provide our troops with a range of options within a fleet of over 600 vehicles.

Army Board: Uniforms

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost is of providing a dress uniform for a member of the Army Board.

Derek Twigg: There are no specific military dress requirements associated with Army Board membership. There are therefore no additional uniform costs arising from an individual's appointment to the board.

Army: Conditions of Employment

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the average length of service completed by retiring Army captains was in  (a) 2000, (b) 2003,  (c) 2005 and  (d) 2006.

Derek Twigg: The following table shows the average length of service completed by Direct Entry (DE) Captains on retirement from the Regular Army for each of the calendar years 2000, 2003, 2005 and 2006.
	
		
			   Direct Entry 
			 2000 6 years 
			 2003 5 years 6 months 
			 2005 5 years 8 months 
			 2006 5 years 6 months 
			  Notes:  1. The averages are based on Army Captains who have left the Army on completion of their terms of service and includes those who have outflowed to the Regular Army Reserve during the stipulated period.  2. Army Captains on a Late Entry Commission type, those who have additional Soldier service, have been excluded from these averages.  3. The figures reflect reckonable service from age 21.  4. The average time served is for UK Regular Forces which includes Nursing Services and excludes Full Time Reserve Service personnel, Gurkhas, the Home Service battalions of the Royal Irish Regiment and mobilised reservists.

Army: Drugs

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many drugs tests on Army personnel produced positive results in  (a) January to June 2006,  (b) July to December 2006 and  (c) January to June 2007; and how many of those results were positive for (i) cocaine, (ii) cocaine only, (iii) cannabis, (iv) cannabis only, (v) ecstasy and (vi) ecstasy only.

Derek Twigg: The following table gives the number of drug tests showing positive results for cocaine, cannabis and ecstasy, and combinations of those drugs with others for the periods requested:
	
		
			  Positive  r esults 
			  Drug Type  1 January 2006 to 30 June 2006  1 July 2006 to 31 December 2006  1 January 2007 to 30 June 2007 
			 Cocaine 185 179 206 
			 Cocaine and Ecstasy 10 23 19 
			 Cocaine, Ecstasy and Cannabis 3 3 3 
			 Cocaine, Ecstasy and Other 2 1 0 
			 Cocaine and Cannabis 28 15 12 
			 Cocaine, Cannabis and Other 1 0 1 
			 Cocaine and Other 4 2 1 
			 Ecstasy 31 46 50 
			 Ecstasy and Cannabis 5 9 1 
			 Ecstasy, Cannabis and Other 3 1 1 
			 Ecstasy and Other 4 5 2 
			 Cannabis 162 91 106 
			 Cannabis and Other 2 1 2 
			 Other 11 10 13 
			 Total Positive Results 451 386 417

Army: Drugs

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many British army personnel tested positive for single-drug-only use in  (a) the first 120 positives tested in 2003 and  (b) the 150 positives tested during 2006, broken down by day of the week tested.

Derek Twigg: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 23 October 2007,  Official Report, column 173W.

Army: Injuries

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many personnel were  (a) very seriously wounded,  (b) seriously wounded and  (c) wounded in action in the recent and current tours of Afghanistan of the (i) 1st Battalion Royal Anglian, (ii) 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards, (iii) 1st Battalion Scots Guards, (iv) 1st Battalion Worcester and Sherwood Foresters and (v) 1st Battalion Royal Welsh.

Des Browne: Between 1 April and 30 September 2007, these regiments sustained the following casualties:
	
		
			  Regiment  Wounded in action  Very seriously ill/seri ously ill 
			 1st Battalion the Royal Anglian Regiment 33 9 
			 1 st Battalion Grenadier Guards 19 7 
			 1 st Battalion Scots Guards 0 0 
			 2nd Battalion the Mercian Regiment (Worcesters and Foresters) 16 6 
			 1st Battalion the Royal Welsh 11 1 
		
	
	The 1st Battalion the Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment recently became the 2nd Battalion the Mercian Regiment (Worcesters and Foresters), and data have therefore been provided under the latter name.
	The 1st Battalion the Royal Anglian Regiment, the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards and the 2nd Battalion the Mercian Regiment (Worcesters and Foresters) were all deployed from April 2007. The 1st Battalion the Royal Welsh has been the Theatre Reserve Battalion since April 2007. Members of the 1st Battalion Scots Guards did not start to deploy until September 2007.
	Data for those very seriously injured/wounded (VSI) or seriously injured/wounded (SI) have been aggregated for reasons of patient confidentiality. Data for those wounded in action (WIA) are collated differently, using field hospital admission data, and may or may not include those classed as VSI or SI.
	The data are subject to change, pending further analysis by the Defence Analytical Services Agency.

Army: Recruitment

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  why the Army Recruiting and Training Division at Pewsey has not requested a submission or relevant medical notes from the GP of the constituent of the hon. Member for Thurrock who appealed in July against the decision to reject his application to join the Army; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  when the appeal submitted in July to the Army Recruiting and Training Division at Pewsey by the constituent of the hon. Member for Thurrock against the decision to reject his application to join the Army will be held; what the cause is of the delay in  (a) advising the appellant and  (b) convening the appeal; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  when Jodie Spreadbury of the Army Recruiting and Training Division at Pewsey expects to make a substantive reply to the letter of 12 September sent by the mother of the constituent of the hon. Member for Thurrock who has appealed against the decision to reject his application to join the Army; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: Copies of a candidate's medical documents are only requested from their GP if required. In this case, the Medical Officer at the Army Development and Selection Centre, and the Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon already had copies of the candidate's medical notes including those from hospital records. These were sufficient as the diagnosis was not in dispute and a further copy of your constituent's medical documents was not required.
	The delay in providing a response to your constituent, therefore, is regretted but the delay was caused by the need to ensure your constituent's case was thoroughly researched and all factors taken into account. Unfortunately, our inquiries have only just been completed. A substantive response to the hon. Member regarding his constituent's case was sent on 26 October.

Atomic Weapons Establishment: Sales

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for The Wrekin (Mark Pritchard) of 26 July 2007,  Official Report, column 1247W, on the Atomic Weapons Establishment: sales, what criteria will be adopted to establish the acceptability of prospective purchasers; and which factors will be taken into account in the analysis of the acceptability of prospective purchasers.

Bob Ainsworth: holding answer 24 October 2007
	The criteria for ensuring UK security in this matter are the same as those that we would employ in establishing whether we would place a contract with any company. Suitability is established through appropriate checks on corporate, financial and security matters. Security checks are carried out in accordance with the relevant requirements of Joint Service Publication (JSP) 440.
	The factors that will be considered in the analysis of prospective purchasers will support our aims to ensure the protection of UK strategic interests and continued programme stability through the retention of the skills and capability that underpin the ability to manage the enduring performance of AWE plc. An exhaustive list of pre-determined factors is not available, primarily because some will arise as a consequence both of events and of the track record of the companies concerned. However, an ability to interact effectively with, and to complement the skills of, the existing consortium partners will be essential pre-requisites.

Bulford Camp: Courts Martial

Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many cases have been heard in each of the courtrooms at Bulford Courts Martial Centre since it was opened; and for what percentage of working time each courtroom has been unoccupied.

Derek Twigg: Bulford Military Court Centre has two court rooms. Since it began sitting in September 2006, Courtroom 1 has heard 77 cases and has never been unoccupied during working time; Courtroom 2 has heard 38 cases and has been unoccupied for 40 per cent. of working time.

Defence Equipment

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to reply to question 159871, on sleeping bags, tabled on 17 October for answer on 22 October.

Bob Ainsworth: I replied to the hon. Member today.

Defence Equipment: Export Controls

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reasons the United Kingdom does not apply re-export controls on the sale of military equipment.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 8 October 2007
	 I have been asked to reply.
	In assessing export licence applications, the Government do not differentiate between military equipment to be exported or re-exported from the UK. All UK export licence applications are rigorously assessed against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria, which includes, inter alia, a thorough consideration of the risk of diversion to undesirable end-users. Should it be judged that an export would contravene any of the Criteria, the application would be refused.
	The Government do not control the re-export of military equipment once it has been exported from the UK. The control of military goods once they have been exported from the UK to a licensed end-user would require UK export controls to be enforced exterritorialy within another country's jurisdiction. The Government are opposed to this approach, and believe that its current approach, based on a rigorous risk assessment at the pre-licensing stage, to be a more effective means of guarding against the risk of military equipment falling into the hands of an undesirable end-user. In addition it would be difficult to enforce extraterritorial controls once the goods have left UK jurisdiction.

Defence Estates: Sales

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much was realised from the sale of defence estate property in each of the last 10 years for which records are available.

Derek Twigg: The accrued receipts relating to the disposal of surplus defence estates property for each financial year is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Financial year   million 
			 1998-99 59 
			 1999-2000 301 
			 2000-01 225 
			 2001-02 185 
			 2002-03 279 
			 2003-04 207 
			 2004-05 212 
			 2005-06 258 
			 2006-07 394

Defence Export Services Organisation: Resignations

Richard Benyon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many employees from the Defence Exports Service Organisation have  (a) left voluntarily and  (b) been made redundant since 25 July 2007.

Bob Ainsworth: Between 25 July and 12 October 2007, 33 employees left the Defence Export Services Organisation (DESO). None of these was made redundant, and the majority left to take up another position in the Ministry of Defence or the armed forces, having served their tour of duty in DESO.

Defence: Exports

Richard Benyon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he was informed of the Prime Minister's decision to close the Defence Exports Services Organisation and to move part of its remit to the Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform.

Bob Ainsworth: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence was consulted before the announcement was made.

Defence: Exports

Richard Benyon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what formal consultations have taken place with union representatives concerning the decision to move responsibilities for defence exports from his Department to UK Trade and Investment.

Bob Ainsworth: Formal consultation with the Trade Unions has not yet begun. A number of informal discussions have taken place with Trade Union representatives.

Defence: Exports

Richard Benyon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether military staff will be seconded to UK Trade and Investment to support defence exports following the changes announced on 25 July.

Bob Ainsworth: Yes.

Defence: Exports

Richard Benyon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consultation took place with defence exporters prior to 25 July on the decision to move responsibility for defence exports from his Department to UK Trade and Investment.

Bob Ainsworth: I refer the hon. Member to the answer my right hon. Friend the Defence Secretary (Des Browne) gave on 17 September 2007,  Official Report, column 2172W, to the hon. Member for Aldershot (Mr. Howarth).

Defence: Procurement

Douglas Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what criteria his Department uses to determine which contractors submitting an expression of interest when bidding to supply an equipment programme are issued with a pre-qualification questionnaire; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what criteria his Department uses to determine which contractors submitting a pre-qualification criteria are issued with an invitation to tender; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: The Department conducts initial suitability assessments of suppliers who submit expressions of interest (E of I) based on supplier information and other available evidence. Often, this is insufficient to make an objective evaluation and a pre-qualification questionnaire (PQQ), together with the non discriminatory criteria against which responses will be evaluated, is issued to prospective bidders. The evaluation of responses will determine eligibility against (A) a number of standard objective criteria including capability, quality, financial and legal status, organisation, and supply chain management and (B) project specific criteria pertinent to the particular requirement. Suppliers who submit an E of I and who are not invited to tender can request a de-brief.

Defence: Procurement

Douglas Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what proportion of offer prices quoted by contractors on DEFFORM 47s in the last two years were within  (a) 10 per cent.,  (b) 6 per cent. and  (c) 2 per cent. of the expenditure figure declared in the initial invitation to tender;
	(2)  what proportion of offer prices on equipment programmes worth more than 100 million quoted by contractors on DEFFORM 47s since 2001 were within  (a) 10 per cent.,  (b) 6 per cent. and  (c) 2 per cent. of the expenditure figure declared in the initial invitation to tender;
	(3)  what proportion of offer prices on equipment programmes quoted by contractors on DEFFORM 47s since 2001 were over the expenditure figure declared in the initial invitation to tender;
	(4)  if he will review the appropriateness of the process whereby his Department reveals to would-be contractors the budgeted expenditure figure or associated year-on-year financial profile when issuing invitations to tender.

Bob Ainsworth: It is not normal departmental practice to provide would-be contractors with budgeted expenditure figures or associated year-on-year financial profiles when issuing an invitation to tender or invitation to negotiate.
	However, within the MOD Defence Contracts Bulletin value banding information is provided to indicate the approximate value of individual requirements to be advertised as a guide to suppliers who may be considering whether to respond.

Departments: Accountancy

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what departmental budget items have been reclassified, under Consolidated Budgeting Guidance, following Comprehensive Spending Review 2007 decisions; and what the  (a) former and  (b) new (i) classification and (ii) sum budgeted is in each case.

Bob Ainsworth: As part of the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review settlement, the Ministry of Defence has introduced an Administration Budget within its overall resource expenditure. In accordance with the Consolidated Budgeting Guidance, this establishes a separate control total for administrative expenditure, against which savings of 5 per cent. per annum in real terms must be achieved between 2008-09 and 2010-11.
	The administration budget is 2.32 billion of resource expenditure, set against a 2007-08 baseline.

Departments: Art Works

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many  (a) works of art and  (b) paintings are contained in his Department's art collection; what the cost, including staff costs, of maintaining the collection was in 2006-07; what the estimated value of the collection is; and how much was spent by his Department on purchasing works of art in each of the last five years.

Derek Twigg: There are some 1,050 items in the MOD art collection, of which 250 are antiques and the remainder works of art. The art includes 342 paintings. Other art includes watercolours and engravings, as well as some architectural drawings. Significant works are on long-term loan in various museums, in order to facilitate public access. The cost of maintaining the collection in 2006-07 was 141,000, of which 98,000 consisted of staff costs. The sum of 232,000 (excluding VAT) was spent on purchasing works of art in 2004-05, no other such expenditure was incurred during the last five years. It is not possible to provide an overall valuation for the collection; the unique nature of many items renders them invaluable, and other items, while of significant historical importance, are of very little intrinsic value.

Departments: Assets

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what departmental assets are planned to be sold in each financial year from 2007-08 to 2010-11; what the  (a) description and  (b) book value of each such asset is; and what the expected revenue from each such sale is.

Bob Ainsworth: Surplus assets are identified and disposed of as part of routine MOD business, primarily through Defence Estates and the Disposal Services Authority.
	The latest published book values of MOD assets worth in excess of 1 million is set out in the National Asset Register (Cm 7022January 2007), available on the HM Treasury website.
	Information on future plans is commercially sensitive and therefore not made available until necessary. A majority of assets identified for disposal, are either marketed by the Disposal Services Agency, or for surplus Defence Estate, published on a list that is regularly updated and placed in the Library of the House. The House will also be informed of the divestment of any other significant MOD assets, such as the planned release of the electromagnetic spectrum announced in the Comprehensive Spending Review.

Departments: Clothing

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spent at Gieves and Hawkes, Savile Row, in each of the last five years; and if he will break down that expenditure by category of clothing.

Derek Twigg: Available records show the following payments made to Gieves and Hawkes, Savile Row, from 1 April 2002 to 31 July 2007.
	
		
			  Financial year   
			 2002-03  
			 2003-04 2,000 
			 2004-05 3,175 
			 2005-06  
			 2006-07  
			 2007-08 (up to July 2007)  
		
	
	Information on the categories of clothing is not held in the format requested.

Departments: Cost Effectiveness

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what efficiency savings his Department was required to make as part of its Spending Review 2004 (SR04) targets; what efficiency projects have been undertaken in the Department in pursuit of those targets; on what date each was initiated; and how much each was predicted to contribute to the SR04 target.

Bob Ainsworth: A breakdown of efficiency savings by programme can be found in the MOD's Efficiency Technical Note, which was published in December 2005. Revised forecasts for the end of March 2008 and achievement to the end of March 2007 were provided in the departmental Annual Report and Accounts 2006-07. Both documents can be found on the department's website at:
	 Efficiency Technical Note
	http://www/mod.uk/DefenceInternet/AboutDefence/CorporatePublications/FinancialReports/ModEfficiencyTechnicalNote.htm
	 MOD Annual Report and Accounts
	http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/AboutDefence/CorporatePublications/AnnualReports/MODAnnualReports0607/
	The dates on which the various initiatives were started are as follows. Unless stated, this is the date when the business case was approved.
	Force structure changesJuly 2004, the date the Future Capabilities Paper was published
	Joint Personnel AdministrationJune 2001, when the Defence Management Board approved the vision and strategy document
	People ProgrammeJuly 2004, Defence Management Board strategy paper for civilian personnel
	Defence Resource Management ProgrammeNovember 2003, when Treasury approved the Defence Resource Management Solution
	Defence Information InfrastructureSeptember 2002
	Equipment procurement/future capabilitiesJuly 2004, the date the Future Capabilities Paper was published
	Defence Logistics Transformation ProgrammeApril 2004, the official formation date of the programme
	Whole Fleet ManagementFebruary 2003
	Estates Modernisationlaunched in Financial Year 2002-03 following a reorganisation of Defence Estates
	Travel ModernisationNovember 2004
	Defence Electronic Commerce Systemthis was identified as a key enabler for the DLO Business Strategy approved in May 2000; early work on Defence e-commerce had begun in 1996.
	Other procurementApril 2003
	Defence Health Change Programmeinitiated following the Medical Quinquennial Review of 2001
	Single Navy commandAugust 2004 when the merger plan was formally established
	Single Air CommandJune 2005, when approved by Minister (Armed Forces)
	Closure of Army Technical Foundation college ArborfieldNovember 2003.

Departments: Disabled

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which buildings occupied by his Department  (a) are and  (b) are not fully accessible to disabled people; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: Given the number of buildings across the defence estate, the requested information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	However, all Government Departments are subject to the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 which requires them to make reasonable access arrangements for disabled people. This Department acts within the Act and Part M of the Building Regulations for England and Wales or their equivalents in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Departments: ICT

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many new  (a) laptops,  (b) mobile telephones and  (c) personal digital assistant devices his Department bought for the use of departmental Ministers following each Cabinet reshuffle since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: Since May 2005, one personal digital assistant has been bought for use by departmental Ministers. We do not hold information on expenditure prior to this date, which could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Departments: Ministerial Policy Advisers

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the name is of each special adviser in his Department.

Des Browne: The annual list of special adviser names will be published shortly.

Departments: Policy

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what policy changes his Department has implemented since 27 June 2007.

Derek Twigg: Ministers have kept Parliament fully informed of the many important activities and decisions that we have made since 27 June 2007 through written ministerial statements.
	The written ministerial statements made by the Department up to 19 October 2007 are listed in the table as follows.
	
		
			  Date  Hansard reference  Subject 
			 27 June 2007 30WS Service Voters Survey 
			 28 June 2007 35WS Deepcut Review 
			 3 July 2007 44WS Depleted Uranium Exposure 
			 11 July 2007 56WS Agency Key Targets 
			 12 July 2007 63WS Greenhouse Gas Emissions 
			 16 July 2007 3WS DMETA Targets 
			 16 July 2007 3WS UK Gulf Veterans' Mortality Data 
			 19 July 2007 29WS Afghanistan Roulement 
			 19 July 2007 33WS Ballistic Missile Defence 
			 19 July 2007 33WS Gurkha Service Pensions 
			 19 July 2007 31WS Iraq Roulement 
			 23 July 2007 42WS Annual Report and Accounts 2006-07 
			 24 July 2007 50WS Basra International Airport 
			 25 July 2007 71WS Ballistic Missile Defence 
			 25 July 2007 74WS Future of ABRO and DARA 
			 25 July 2007 74WS Mental Health Statistics 
			 25 July 2007 76WS Nuclear Steam Raising Plant 
			 25 July 2007 72WS Operation Banner 
			 25 July 2007 73WS RAF Hercules XV206 Board of Inquiry 
			 26 July 2007 94WS DSDA Longtown 
			 26 July 2007 95WS Operational Effectiveness 
			 12 September 2007 122WS Project Borona 
			 17 September 2007 125WS Defence Relations 
			 8 October 2007 8WS Future Army Structure 
			 8 October 2007 7WS Pattern of Military Low Flying Across the United Kingdom 2006-07 
			 8 October 2007 7WS UK Hydrographic Office 
			 11 October 2007 42WS Armed Forces Compensation Scheme 
			 19 October 2007 59WS Airfield Review (Tertiary Airfield Support) 
		
	
	The Statements either re-affirmed existing policy or were not policy related.

Departments: Public Participation

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many citizens' juries have been arranged by his Department since June; which organisations were commissioned to conduct each citizens' jury; and what the estimated cost is of each exercise.

Derek Twigg: The Department has not arranged any citizens' juries since June 2007.

Departments: Retirement

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many employees in  (a) his Department and  (b) each (i) executive agency and (ii) non-departmental public body funded by his Department applied to continue to work beyond state retirement age in the latest year or part thereof for which figures are available; and how many of those applications were successful.

Derek Twigg: The information is not held in the format requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	Since the introduction of a 'national default retirement age' of 65, men and women have been able automatically to continue in employment up to this age. This means that women employed by the MOD are able routinely to work beyond the current state pension age for women of 60. Moreover, the MOD has introduced procedures which enable its civil servants to apply to work beyond 65 in accordance with the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006. Such applications are submitted to individual line managers and appeals, where they are raised, are dealt with at a more senior level within the business unit.

Departments: Scotland

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what areas of land in Scotland were sold by his Department in each of the last five years; what the use was of each area prior to sale; what revenue was received for each area of land; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: The information requested is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Property in Scotland sold by defence estatesfinancial years 2003-04 to 2007-08 
			  Town  Number of properties  Former use  Value of sale () 
			  2003-04
			 Auchterarder 1 ACF Centre with Land 19,747 
			 Ayr 3 SFA 242,177 
			 Beith 1 Agricultural land 42,000 
			 Balivanish (Benbecula) 1 Former Camp 101,500 
			 Caithness 1 Former Communications Site 6,000 
			 Campbeltown 1 Former Cadet Centre 15,701 
			 Edinburgh 1 Former TA Centre 650,000 
			 Elgin 23 SFA 550,000 
			 Forres 1 SFA 35,162 
			 Helensburgh 4 SFA 220,000 
			 Helensburgh 1 Former Site Office 202,000 
			 Inverness 1 Surplus Land 55,781 
			 Kinross 2 SFA 178,221 
			 Peterhead 10 SFA 677,364 
			 Rosyth 29 SFA incl Garage Colony 1,546,888 
			 Total   4,542,541 
			 
			  2004-05
			 Drumore 1 Harbour 1,000 
			 Edinburgh 1 Former TA Centre 2,579,396 
			 Edinburgh 1 SFA 396,277 
			 Fairlie 1 Former NATO Depot 37,541 
			 Falkirk 1 Former TA Centre 329,812 
			 Forres 38 SFA incl Garage Colony 2,170,271 
			 Fort William 1 SFA 150,500 
			 Garelochhead 2 Land/Track 250,000 
			 Giffnock 1 SFA 161,000 
			 Glasgow 1 Part of Car Park 25,000 
			 Helensburgh 4 Amenity sites incl Garage Colony 140,000 
			 Helensburgh 1 Electricity Sub Station 3,000 
			 Keith 1 SFA 84,000 
			 Perth 7 SFA 1,482,735 
			 Peterhead 28 SFA incl Garage Colony 1,763,211 
			 Rosyth 2 SFA 117,435 
			 Stirling 1 Former Cadet Training Camp 1,250,000 
			 Thurso 1 SFA 56,000 
			 Total   10,997,178 
			 
			  2005-06
			 Carnoustie (Barry Buddon) 1 Cycle Path 4,602 
			 Balivanish (Benbecula) 7 SFA 520,000 
			 Balivanish (Benbecula) 1 Former NAAFI Shop and Site 123,000 
			 Boddam 59 RAF Buchan Domestic Site Plus 58 SFA 3,776,379 
			 Boddam 1 RAF Buchan Playing Fields 29,250 
			 Elgin 84 SFA with Land and Garage Colony 3,358,300 
			 Elgin 1 Grassed Area (Encroachment) 10,000 
			 Forres 1 Gas Governor Site 300 
			 Forres 54 SFA 4,953,825 
			 Giffnock 5 SFA 802,000 
			 Kinross 1 SFA 200,501 
			 Lerwick 1 Water Pump Station 5,511 
			 Lossiemouth 3 SFA 188,000 
			 Peterhead 27 SFA 2,230,902 
			 Haroldswick (Saxa Vord) 3 SFA 76,080 
			 Thurso 1 SFA 65,000 
			 Total   16,343,650 
			 
			  2006-07
			 Aberdeen 2 SFA 268,564 
			 Arbroath 6 SFA 536,636 
			 Balivanish (Benbecula) 8 SFA 456,000 
			 Boddam 2 SFA 275,500 
			 Cupar 18 SFA 2,787,671 
			 Edinburgh 26 SFA 3,209,000 
			 Elgin 40 SFA 3,178,000 
			 Forres 4 SFA 415,650 
			 Garelochhead 6 SFA 924,985 
			 Glencourse (Penicuik) 1 SFA 311,295 
			 Haroldswick (Saxa Vord) 7 SFA 21,600 
			 Inverness 1 Land 1,200 
			 Irvine 76 SFA plus Amenity Land 4,835,000 
			 Lossiemouth 1 Land 115,000 
			 Lossiemouth 4 Former DHE Offices with Garage Colony 305,000 
			 Lossiemouth 37 SFA 2,421,912 
			 Paisley 2 SFA 287,845 
			 Peterhead 1 SFA 92,000 
			 Portpatrick 1 Former Radio Station 20,000 
			 Rosneath 1 Grass verge 13,000 
			 Scone 3 SFA 497,331 
			 Total   20,973,189 
			 
			  2007-08 to date
			 Aberdeen 2 Service Family Accommodation -SFA 415,552 
			 Arbroath 1 SFA 115,775 
			 Arbroath 3 Garage Colony and Grassed areas 117,010 
			 Boddam 3 SFA 343,440 
			 Crief 1 Cultybraggan Training Camp 350,000 
			 Cupar 14 SFA 2,316,457 
			 Edinburgh 6 SFA 1,614,834 
			 Elgin 1 Grassed Area 131,035 
			 Haroldswick (Saxa Vord) 1 SFA 125,750 
			 Haroldswick (Saxa Vord) 1 RAF site incl SFA 25,000 
			 Inverness 2 SFA 399,300 
			 Inverness 1 Former Community Centre 330,000 
			 Thurso 1 SFA 92,000 
			 Total   6,376,153 
			 
			 Scotland five year total   59,232,711

Departments: Written Questions

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many and what percentage of questions tabled to his Department for answer on a named day received a substantive reply on the day named in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Derek Twigg: From 1 October 2006 to 30 September 2007, 859 named day written questions were tabled to the Secretary of State for Defence of which 185 received a substantive reply on the day named.

EU Defence Policy

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions he has had with his European counterparts on proposals to establish a European standing army; if he will make it his policy to ensure that no British service personnel could be deployed as part of that army without the approval of the UK Parliament; and if he will make a statement.

Des Browne: There is no European standing army and I have neither taken part in nor know of any recent discussions about establishing one. The United Kingdom declares a range of capabilities as potentially available for EU-led crisis management operations, but our contribution is voluntary and considered on a case by case basis in the light of other commitments. Any decision to deploy British troops for an EU-led operation continues to rest solely with the Government of the United Kingdom.
	On 25 October 2007, the Ministry of Justice, Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Ministry of Defence published 'The Governance of Britain' Green Paper which set out the Government's proposals to strengthen Parliament's role in the deployment of the armed forces into armed conflict abroad. The consultation period will conclude early next year.

Ex-servicemen: Health Services

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what measures he is taking to ensure that ex-service personnel receive appropriate levels of medical services and support.

Derek Twigg: Working in partnership across government, the Veterans' Programme aims for excellent public services for ex-Service personnel. Medical services are the responsibility of the NHS. As well as in-Service arrangements, the MOD/UK Health Departments Partnership Board considers medical support for successful transition to the civilian community and thereafter. NHS Priority Treatment is provided for disorders accepted as due to or made worse by, service under both the War Pensions and Armed Forces Compensation Schemes, priority being decided by the clinician in charge based on the clinical need. MOD, the health departments, NHS and the ex-Service charity 'Combat Stress' are working together on a community-based mental health service for ex-Service personnel. This will draw on a range of expertise and include personnel with a military background. The service will deliver culturally sensitive, evidence based interventions. It will be piloted at sites across UK shortly.
	The Medical Assessment Programme (MAP) based at St. Thomas' hospital is now available to veterans who have been deployed on operations since 1982, and who are concerned that they may have a service related mental health problem.

Ex-servicemen: Radiation Exposure

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what payments have been made to former servicemen for adverse health effects arising from exposure to radiation from British nuclear tests in Australia and Christmas Island in the Pacific; and how many applications for compensation are under consideration.

Derek Twigg: All former service personnel who suffered injury as a result of Service prior to 6 April 2005, or their surviving spouses, may apply for a war pension or a war widow's pension, as appropriate, under the terms of the War Pension Scheme. A war pension may be payable in respect of any disablement or death due to service. There are no restrictions on the time or place of service and no time limits for making a claim under the scheme. Information on the number of war pensions paid by location and cause of disablement is not available.
	Civil proceedings were issued against the Ministry of Defence in December 2006 from the legal representatives of around 900 former service personnel who are potential claimants in a group litigation. The Department understands that the claimant's legal representatives are exploring the precise numbers who wish to proceed with the action.

Global Navigation Satellite Systems: Deer

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much was spent by Defence Estates on providing Sika deer with global positioning system collars in the Poole basin area.

Derek Twigg: Bournemouth University, the National Trust and the British Deer Society are undertaking research on Lulworth Training Area, part of the Defence Training Estate, as a joint venture with Defence Estates (DE)the MOD organisation with responsibility for the defence estate.
	DE has contributed a total of 32,500 to the project for the purchase of 15 Global Positioning System collars and equipment. The other partners have contributed a total of 85,000 to this venture.
	The numbers of Sika deer within the Lulworth Range area have been increasing. However, DE has been unable to determine whether this is due to resident herds or migration of deer from other areas which are less well managed. There is also concern about their impact on the important local habitat and potential damage claims to the MOD. The project aims to increase understanding of the issues involved.

Helicopters

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the individual cost per aircraft is of the  (a) purchase of six Danish Merlin helicopters and  (b) downgrading of eight Chinook helicopters.

Bob Ainsworth: The cost of acquiring the six Danish EH101 (Merlin) helicopters is 176 million. This figure includes the cost of converting the ex-Danish aircraft for UK operational use and the cost of procuring six replacement Merlin aircraft for Denmark. Therefore, the cost per individual aircraft equates to 29.3 million.
	The cost of converting the Chinook Mk3 helicopters to the Battlefield helicopter role is being negotiated, and the costs will be fixed at Main Gate.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many armed forces personnel who have seen service in  (a) Iraq and  (b) Afghanistan have been diagnosed as suffering from a mental health condition.

Derek Twigg: I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement I made on 25 July 2007,  Official Report, columns 74-75WS.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many attacks have been made on UK forces in Iraq in each month since October 2006;
	(2)  how many indirect fire attacks have been made on UK bases in Iraq in each month since October 2006.

Des Browne: The following table provides an assessment of recorded attacks. Column 1 also includes attacks on our coalition partners transiting through MND(SE) area of operation. The figures do not convey the significance of each individual incident, which in both cases may range from a single shot fired at safe range through to complex coordinated attacks.
	
		
			  Number of attacks on UK forces in Iraq 
			  Month  Number of attacks on UK forces  Number of attacks on UK bases 
			 October 2006 174 80 
			 November 2006 181 66 
			 December 2006 259 96 
			 January 2007 226 99 
			 February 2007 335 97 
			 March 2007 245 81 
			 April 2007 223 118 
			 May 2007 334 148 
			 June 2007 376 163 
			 July 2007 401 201 
			 August 2007 190 102 
			 September 2007 19 5

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Humfrey Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service personnel serving in  (a) Iraq and  (b) Afghanistan in each of the last four years were returned to the UK for treatment to their injuries arising out of their duties for which figures are available.

Derek Twigg: holding answer 11 October 2007
	The Defence Analytical Services Agency (DASA) is currently conducting an analysis of records of aeromedical evacuations for both Iraq and Afghanistan, with a view to releasing validated data on the Ministry of Defence website by November 2007. Until this review has been completed, the following figures are subject to future refinement and pre-2006 figures are not available.
	In 2006, centrally available records show that 320 patients from Iraq and 128 patients from Afghanistan were aeromedically evacuated from theatre to the UK and transferred to a hospital. In 2007 (up to 31 August), centrally available records show that 254 patients from Iraq and 251 patients from Afghanistan were aeromedically evacuated from theatre to the UK and transferred to a hospital.
	Data are not available for this period on the number of those who were discharged at the airhead but went to a medical facility other than a hospital. DASA instituted a system for tracking this information with effect from October 2007.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

David Gauke: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he was first informed by the Prime Minister that the Prime Minister would be providing details on 1 October of the reduction in UK troop numbers in Iraq.

Des Browne: holding answer 11 October 2007
	I regularly discuss Iraq policy, including the timing of announcements, with my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the British Armed Forces have been assigned to the Coalition Forces Land Component Command in Kuwait since 2003, broken down by  (a) rank and  (b) branch.

Des Browne: We currently have one UK service person stationed with the headquarters at the Coalition Forces Land Component Command in Kuwait; a liaison officer holding the rank of lieutenant colonel. Information is not held centrally on our historic level of manning in that headquarters and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what role is played by British troops deployed in Basra in respect of  (a) escorting convoys delivering materials to the United States forces deployed around Baghdad and other areas of central and northern Iraq and  (b) cleaning up and remediating areas contaminated by the use of depleted uranium munitions used by coalition forces.

Des Browne: UK forces deployed in Basra work in conjunction with our coalition partners and the Iraqi security forces to provide general security in the region. However, we do not escort specific convoys tasked to deliver materials to US forces in Baghdad or other areas of central and northern Iraq.
	Depleted uranium munitions were expended by UK forces in Iraq only during the initial combat operations in 2003. We have worked closely with a range of scientific and humanitarian organisations and concluded that this expenditure does not pose any significant danger either to coalition forces or the general population. The Iraqi authorities have the lead in any post-conflict clean-up operations, with coalition forces providing support as necessary. UK forces have carried out ordnance disposal activities and removed surface-lying fragments of depleted uranium as and when they are discovered. We have also exchanged information with humanitarian and other organisations working in Iraq, and issued precautionary warnings through signs and leaflets, advising the local population of the more general dangers of approaching or touching any debris on a battlefield.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of the  (a) total UK military helicopter fleet and  (b) the helicopter fleet deployed in (i) Iraq and (ii) Afghanistan are considered (A) fit for service and (B) fit for purpose, broken down by helicopter type.

Des Browne: The percentage of the total number of military helicopters in the Forward Fleet and considered 'fit for purpose' is detailed in the following table. Fit for purpose is defined as helicopters that are available, reliable, airworthy and capable of carrying out their planned missions on a given date. The term 'fit for service' is not recognised in this context.
	
		
			  Helicopter type  Fit for purpose (Percentage) 
			 Agusta A109 75 
			 Apache 50 
			 Chinook 2/2a 67 
			 Gazelle AHI 81 
			 Lynx MK 3 and 8 69 
			 Lynx MK 7 and 9 57 
			 Merlin MK 1 41 
			 Merlin MK 3 50 
			 Puma 64 
			 Sea King MK 3/3A 64 
			 Sea King MK 4/6C 52 
			 Sea King MK 5 54 
			 Sea King MK 7 44 
		
	
	These numbers will vary from day-to-day. The figures shown are the average for the month of August 2007.
	All UK helicopters deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan are considered fit for purpose, but not all will be available for operational flying each day due to routine maintenance requirements. However, operational capability is measured in terms of flying hours rather than the number of airframes available, and sufficient helicopters and helicopter hours are provided to meet essential operational commitments. We continue to review these operational requirements and do adjust as necessary.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 3 September 2007,  Official Report, column 1624W, on Iraq: peacekeeping operations, what the total core costs were before the net additional costs of the units that have been present in Iraq in each financial year since 2002-03.

Des Browne: The defence budget and expenditure is not disaggregated in a way that can identify sunk costs used towards operations. These costs are considered normal business for the Ministry of Defence.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence where and when he raised the concerns of Sir Mike Jackson on US policy in Iraq with his US counterpart; and if he will publish the minutes of the meeting.

Des Browne: I have regular discussions with the US Defence Secretary on issues of mutual interest, including the situation in Iraq. I have not discussed with him the opinions of General Sir Mike Jackson.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many cases of  (a) gastroenteritis,  (b) meningitis,  (c) pneumonia and  (d) food poisoning there have been among UK armed services personnel in (i) Iraq and (ii) Afghanistan since March 2003.

Derek Twigg: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member's question in the time available before prorogation.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many units of whole blood were used by British military hospitals in  (a) Iraq and  (b) Afghanistan in each year since March 2003.

Derek Twigg: Blood supply to our medical teams in operational theatres is supplied in its component parts (e.g. red cell concentrate, platelets, plasma, cryoprecipitate) and is not supplied as whole blood. The information is therefore not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	Appropriate procedures are in place to ensure sufficient blood resources are available in both operational theatres.

Iraq: Police

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information he has on the ethnic and religious composition of the Iraqi  (a) police and  (b) security forces of the (i) Ministry of Defence and (ii) Ministry of the Interior; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: The ethnic and religious composition of the Iraqi Security Forces and Iraqi Government Departments is a matter for the Iraqi Government. We do, however, work closely with the leadership of the Iraqi security forces in South East Iraq in an effort to ensure that the ethnic composition of those forces does not reduce their operational effectiveness.

Iraq: Prime Minister

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what date he was first informed of the Prime Minister's plans to visit Iraq in October.

Des Browne: I regularly discuss Iraq with my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister, including the dates for potential visits.

Iraq: Resettlement

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what definition he uses of locally engaged staff.

Derek Twigg: MOD employs a number of locally engaged staff overseas who are known as locally engaged civilians (LECs). The definition of a locally engaged civilian is an employee who has been recruited locally as a servant of the Crown. In other words, they have not been recruited through fair and open competition in the UK under the Civil Service Order in Council and they are not therefore members of the Home Civil Service or the Diplomatic Service. LECs are also employed on terms and conditions analogous with local employment law and market forces, and not those of the UK. The majority of civilian personnel employed overseas by MOD are LECs and not civil servants.

Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to Annex A of the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) (DEP 07/101), what changes to the proposed UK JSF delivery schedule have been made since the MoU signature.

Bob Ainsworth: The UK continuously reviews its requirement and delivery profile for JSF in order to ensure Carrier Strike coherence. The profile contained within the MOU was an estimate of our requirement at that point in time. The current plan remains to purchase up to 150 Short Take Off and Vertical Landing JSF to fulfil this requirement.

Marine Afloat Reach and Support Project

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the procurement strategy for the Marine Afloat Reach and Support Project has been altered so that the competition for a lead project integrator has been abandoned; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: The Military Afloat Reach and Sustainability (MARS) project is currently in its assessment phase. During this stage of any Defence project, the MOD keeps its procurement approach under review to ensure it continues to meet the requirement and is fully exploiting market conditions in order to get the best value for money for Defence.
	The initial contractual route for the MARS project centred on the formation of an alliance, consisting of MOD and industrial partners, including an Integrator. A number of influencing factors, however, led to a review of the MARS procurement strategy in May 2007: market developments, namely the rapidly changing shipbuilding market conditions; confirmation of the CVF order; and the changing industrial landscape under the Defence Industrial Strategy. The decision not to proceed with the MARS Integrator Competition was taken in this context.
	MOD is currently analysing the various options available to best procure the MARS ships, concentrating initially on the fleet tankers which are the most urgently required vessels.

Married Quarters: Sales

David Marshall: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Ministry of Defence houses were sold in each of the last 10 years.

Derek Twigg: Details of the number of service family accommodation (SFA) properties sold in Northern Ireland are not held centrally so will take a little more time to collate. I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
	Records of other SFA sold in financial year 1997-98 to 1999-2000 no longer exist. However, SFA properties sold in each financial year since FY 2000-01 are set out as follows:
	
		
			  Financial year  SFA sold 
			 2000-01 316 
			 2001-02 250 
			 2002-03 336 
			 2003-04 208 
			 2004-05 62 
			 2005-06 281 
			 2006-07 365

Medals

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the future location of the office issuing medals to members of the Army; what assessment he has made of the impact of any future move of the office on  (a) staff and  (b) the effectiveness of the issuing process; and what further costs will be incurred in any such move.

Derek Twigg: I have yet to receive the Business Case in support of the recent study into the future accommodation requirements of the Service Personnel and Veterans Agency.
	However, I can assure the hon. Gentleman that when I come to look at its recommendations, I will of course take into consideration the impact of any decision made to the services delivered by the Ministry of Defence Medal Office.
	I will inform Parliament once a decision has been made.

Military Aircraft: Deployment

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many times Royal Air Force flights were scrambled to intercept aircraft approaching the UK in each month for the latest year for which figures are available; and in each case from which countries the approaching aircraft originated.

Des Browne: holding answer 12 September 2007
	 For the year from 1 September 2006 to 31 August 2007, the number of scrambles to intercept aircraft approaching the UK by month is given in the following table:
	
		
			   Number 
			  2006  
			 September 1 
			 October 0 
			 November 1 
			 December 0 
			   
			  2007  
			 January 0 
			 February 1 
			 March 0 
			 April 2 
			 May 0 
			 June 0 
			 July 3 
			 August 1 
		
	
	Not all scrambles resulted in an interception as some incidents were resolved before the target aircraft was intercepted. The military aircraft involved were Russian. The civilian airliners were from a range of countries.

Military Aircraft: Manpower

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many ground personnel in theatre are required to keep each  (a) Eurofighter,  (b) GR7 Harrier,  (c) Merlin,  (d) Lynx,  (e) Sea King,  (f) Chinook and  (g) Apache operational.

Bob Ainsworth: The number of personnel required to support each aircraft will vary depending on operational theatre and tasking. It is not possible to assign a precise number of personnel to a specific aircraft type, as many individuals provide essential support services to several aircraft types. The Typhoon (Eurofighter) aircraft is not currently deployed to any operational theatre.

Military Fighting Vehicles

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when his Department's programme to fit air conditioning units to many current and future armoured fighting vehicles and protected patrol vehicles began; and what percentage of vehicles identified as requiring such units now have them.

Bob Ainsworth: Details on the programmes to fit air conditioning to the current and future armoured fighting vehicles and protected patrol vehicles are shown as follows:
	
		
			  Vehicle  Programme to fit air conditioning units  Percentage of those vehicles requiring air conditioning which have it fitted 
			 Challenger 2 Fitted at manufacture(1) 100 
			 CVR(T) Began June 2007 100 
			 FV430 Bulldog Began June 2007 100 
			 Mastiff Fitted at manufacture 100 
			 Saxon Patrol Began June 2006 (2)100 
			 Titan Fitted at manufacture 100 
			 Trojan Fitted at manufacture 100 
			 Vector Fitted at manufacture 100 
			 Warrior Began July 2007 (3)22 
			 Snatch Began mid-2004 100 
			 (1) An improved variant now fitted to 100 per cent of operational fleet. (2) All vehicles on operations are fitted with air conditioning. A further 20 non-operational vehicles being fitted as a contingency measure. (3) All Warriors on operations are fitted with driver's Environmental Cooling Units (ECU). Programme to fit operational fleet with driver/infantry section ECU ongoing. 98 per cent. of op. fleet will be fitted by January 2008. 
		
	
	On present plans, all Future Rapid Effects System vehicles will be fitted with environmental control systems.

NATO

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which of the NATO Mediterranean dialogue partner countries have begun negotiations for individual cooperation programmes with NATO; and when these negotiations are expected to be concluded.

Des Browne: To date, two of the seven Mediterranean dialogue countries have entered into negotiations with NATO for an individual co-operation programme. Israel's was agreed in October 2006; and Egypt's on 17 October 2007.

Nuclear Weapons: Testing

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what records his Department holds on how many  (a) British service personnel,  (b) medical auxiliaries,  (c) UK Atomic Energy Authority personnel,  (d) Atomic Weapons Research Establishment personnel and  (e) others took part in the British nuclear testing programme in the Pacific and Australia in the 1950s and 1960s.

Derek Twigg: MOD does not hold statistics on overall participation in the tests. Three studies by the National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB, now part of the Health Protection Agency) into mortality and cancer incidence among UK nuclear test veterans included 21,357 participants identified from MOD archives. This can be taken as a lower limit on the total number of people who participated in the tests. The NRPB studies count a total of 27,505 'involvements' from the 21,357 participants. The number of test involvements was greater than the number of participants because some people attended more than one test.
	The 27,505 involvements are broken down as follows:
	Royal Navy: 7,219
	Army: 7,462
	RAF: 11,220
	AWRE: 1,604
	The figure for AWRE staff includes a small but unspecified number from the Atomic Energy Research Establishment at Harwell.

Nuclear Weapons: Testing

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the title is of each document relating to British nuclear tests in  (a) Australia,  (b) Christmas Island and  (c) Malden Island that has been withheld from public release at the National Archives.

Derek Twigg: In accordance with the Public Records Acts, MOD withholds from release to the public at the National Archives files that are over 30 years old, or extracts from them, if and for so long as their contents are judged to be sensitive.
	Currently MOD holds 45 complete file parts and 10 extracts from file parts that relate to the nuclear tests in Australia, Christmas Island and Malden Island. Lists of all the documents contained within these files could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The files titles are as follows:
	 Files
	Christmas Island
	Decay rates of fallout at Operation Hurricane
	Fallout distribution at Operation Hurricane
	Grapple Z extracts
	HMS Diana in light falloutOp Mosaic
	Maralinga and Christmas Island tests
	Maralingacontaminated waste x 2 files
	Maralinga, Emu and Monte Bello x 7 files
	Nuclear test series, code name Buffalo x 2 files
	Operation Antler: preparation for UK nuclear weapon trials at Maralinga 1957
	Operation Hurricane: preparation for United Kingdom nuclear weapon trials at Monte Bello 1952
	Op Buffalo x 4 files
	Operation Antler
	Op Hurricane
	Operation Hurricane/Tigress
	Some solubility experiments on Mosaic and Grapple Fallout
	Surface phenomena at Operation Hurricane
	UK hydrogen bombs tests: details relating to operations Mosaic Buffalo and Grapple
	UK hydrogen bomb tests code name Grapple x 3 files
	UK megaton weapon tests at Christmas Island, code name Grapple X x 2 files
	UK tests and experiments 1952 to 1963 x 2 files
	UK tests and experiments 1952-1963 x 9 files.
	 File extracts
	Atomic energyUK trialsAntler (formerly Sapphire and Volcano)
	Buffalo
	Grapple Z extracts
	Hydrogen bomb trials x 3 file extracts
	Hydrogen bomb trialsGrappleGrapex
	Nuclear tests codename Buffalo
	UK megaton weapon tests at Christmas Island, code name Grapple X x 2 file extracts.
	The Atomic Weapons Establishment holds on the same basis a large number of documents and files relating to nuclear tests. Their list has some 560 entries, and I will arrange for a copy of it to be placed in the Library of the House.

Nuclear Weapons: Testing

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment has been made of the potential adverse health effects of the use of dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane to control flies on Christmas and Malden Islands during their use in British nuclear warhead tests.

Derek Twigg: The UK atmospheric nuclear tests took place in areas with high levels of tropical insect pests which presented a risk to health. To minimise this, aerial spraying of DDT was carried out. There is no reliable evidence that DDT causes adverse health effects in humans and MOD has not undertaken any specific assessment of the risks associated with the use of DDT in nuclear testing.

Nuclear Weapons: Testing

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department  (a) was invited to attend and  (b) attended the meetings on nuclear test veterans held on 15 and 16 October 2007 at the House of Commons, chaired by the hon. Members for Norwich, North (Dr. Gibson) and for Billericay (Mr. Baron).

Derek Twigg: The Ministry of Defence was invited to attend a parliamentary inquiry into the health effects of Operation Grapple (UK nuclear tests of 1957-58). MOD declined to be involved in this inquiry because its proposed scope is the subject of current civil proceedings. Two MOD officials attended the inquiry as observers.

Nuclear Weapons: Testing

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information his Department holds on Fijian nationals who were present at the British nuclear tests in the Pacific.

Derek Twigg: The Ministry of Defence holds limited information on Fijian nationals who were present at the British nuclear tests in the Pacific. Records held by the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) contain four pages listing the names of Fijian nationals involved, and the tests for which they were present. No radiation doses were recorded for any Fijian national.
	At Operation Mosaic, which took place in 1956 at the Monte Bello Islands off the North West coast of Australia, 32 Fijians were onboard HMS Newfoundland. Two Mosaic trials were held. At the first on 16 May, HMS Newfoundland was docked at Singapore. At the second on 19 June trial, the ship was approximately 565 nautical miles (approx. 940 km) west north west of the Monte Bello Islands.
	Operation Grapple comprised three trials which took place in May and June of 1957 off the Maiden Island; 42 Fijians were onboard the aircraft carrier, HMS Warrior, which was the Forward Area Control Ship for the trials, and the Task Force flagship. The flagship acted as the control centre for a group of ships stationed off Maiden Island during the trials.
	At a later trial, Operation Grapple Y, 23 Fijians were stationed at HMS Resolution. The Grapple Y trial took place on 28 April 1958 off the south east point of Kiritimati (formerly Christmas Island). From December 1957, HMS Resolution was the name used for the group of naval personnel based onshore at Kiritimati. HMS Resolution was situated at Port London, on the north west side of the island, approximately 43 km from the point of detonation.
	At a subsequent series of trials, Operation Grapple Z, 16 Fijians were attached to 269 Squadron. The series comprised four nuclear detonations at the south-east point of Kiritimati, which took place in August and September 1958. The duties performed by 269 Squadron during Operation Grapple Z were reconnaissance, meteorological patrol and air-sea rescue.
	More widely, AWE records indicate that the 'Fijian Military Force' was under 12 Independent Field Squadron from April 1958 to February 1959; under 36 Corps Engineer Regiment, Royal Engineers, from February 1959 to November 1959; and under 73 (Christmas Island) Squadron, Royal Engineers, from November 1959 to April 1960.

Royal Marines: Deployment

Linda Gilroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he plans to relocate the Royal Marine training hulk HMS Rame Head from Fareham Creek; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: HMS Rame Head is no longer being used as a training facility. She is currently being surveyed in order to allow for eventual disposal and appropriate re-cycling.

Royal Marines: Training

Linda Gilroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence where the training conducted for Turnchapel-based 539 Assault Squadron is.

Bob Ainsworth: Individual vocational training is conducted by 10 (Landing Craft) Training Squadron based at Poole. This training is carried out in Poole Harbour and from the Solent to Plymouth. Surf and wading training is conducted at 11 (Amphibious Trials and Training) Squadron at Instow in North Devon.
	Collective training is carried out locally in Plymouth Sound with more advanced training, usually involving amphibious ships, in the South Coast training areas or the northern training areas around Cape Wrath. 539 Assault Squadron Royal Marines also conduct bilateral training exercises with navies from other countries outside UK waters.

Royal Navy: Training

Linda Gilroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence where training for the landing craft which support  (a) HMS Ocean,  (b) HMS Albion and  (c) HMS Bulwark is conducted.

Bob Ainsworth: Individual vocational training is conducted by 10 (Landing Craft) Training Squadron based at Poole. This training is carried out in Poole Harbour and from the Solent to Plymouth. Surf and wading training is conducted at 11 (Amphibious Trials and Training) Squadron at Instow in North Devon.
	Once qualified, personnel join the major Assault Squadrons in the Amphibious Task Group (HMS Ocean, HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark) and receive further training as appropriate.

Seismic Monitoring

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what seismological recording stations there are in the UK.

Ian Pearson: I have been asked to reply.
	The national seismic monitoring network of the UK is operated by the British Geological Survey (BGS), a wholly owned Research Centre of the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC). Table 1 provides a list of the sites and locations.
	In addition, there are six stations owned by the Ministry of Defence, one of which is used for comprehensive test ban treaty verification work (Eskdalemuir Array). The full list is given in Table 2.
	
		
			  Table 1: National seismic monitoring network 
			  Site code  Name  Latitude  Longitude 
			 YEL Yell 60.55 -1.08 
			 WAL Walls 60.26 -1.62 
			 LRW Lerwick 60.14 -1.18 
			 SAN Sandwick 60.02 -1.24 
			 OWE Westray 59.32 -3.03 
			 OST Stronsay 59.09 -2.55 
			 OHO Hoy 58.83 -3.25 
			 RCR Cape Wrath 58.62 -5.00 
			 OBR Brabster 58.61 -3.16 
			 ODR Dounreay 58.58 -3.73 
			 ORE Reay 58.55 -3.76 
			 OTO Tongue 58.50 -4.39 
			 RTO Tolsta 58.38 -6.21 
			 RSC Scourie 58.35 -5.17 
			 MLA Latheron 58.31 -3.36 
			 Mudale Mudale 58.29 -4.50 
			 RFO Forsnaval 58.21 -7.01 
			 REB Eisg-Brachaidh 58 12 -5.28 
			 MVH Achvaich 57.93 -4.18 
			 RRH Rhenigidale 57.92 -6.69 
			 RRR Rubha Reidh 57.86 -5.81 
			 MFI Fishrie 57.61 -2.30 
			 MCD Coleburn Distillery 57.58 -3.25 
			 KAC Achnashellach 57.50 -5.30 
			 KSK Scoval 57.47 -6.70 
			 MDO Dochfour 57.44 -4.36 
			 KPL Plockton 57.34 -5.65 
			 KDUR Duncraig 57.33 -5.61 
			 MME Meikle Cairn 57.31 -2.96 
			 TULLOCH Tulloch 57.23 -3.69 
			 KSB Shiel Bridge 57.21 -5.42 
			 EDR Drumtochty 56.92 -2.54 
			 KAR Arisaig 56.92 -5.83 
			 KNR Nevis Range 56.82 -4.97 
			 EDU Dundee 56.55 -3.01 
			 ELO Logiealmond 56.47 -3.71 
			 MUSDALE Musdale 56.35 -5.34 
			 EBH Black Hill 56.25 -3.51 
			 EAB Aberfoyle 56.19 -4.34 
			 PCO Corrie 55.99 -4.10 
			 TOR Torness 55.97 -2.40 
			 MH Murchison House 55.92 -3.18 
			 EDI Edinburgh Royal Observatory 55.92 -3.19 
			 ESY Stoneypath 55.92 -2.61 
			 PMS Muirshiel 55.85 -4.75 
			 POB Paisley Observatory 55.85 -4.43 
			 EAU Auchinoon 55.85 -3.45 
			 PGB Glenifferbraes 55.81 -4.48 
			 EBL Broad Law 55.77 -3.04 
			 PCA Carrot 55.70 -4.26 
			 XSO Sourhope 55.49 -2.25 
			 GMK Mull Of Kintyre 55.35 -5.59 
			 ESK Eskdalemuir Observatory 55.32 -3.21 
			 XJSR Jocks Shoulder 55.31 -3.30 
			 ECK Cauldkaine Hill 55.18 -3.13 
			 BWH Wardlaw 55.18 -3.65 
			 BBH Bruntsheil 55.13 -2.93 
			 BHH Howats Hill 55.09 -3.22 
			 GCL Cushendall 55.08 -6.13 
			 BCC Chapelcross 55.02 -3.22 
			 BNA New Abbey 54.97 -3.62 
			 RBKR Red Bank 54.91 -3.66 
			 BTA Talkin 54.91 -2.68 
			 GCDR Cambret Hill 54.89 -4.30 
			 GAL Galloway 54.87 -4.71 
			 GCD Castle Douglas 54.86 -3.94 
			 XAL Allendale 54.86 -2.21 
			 BDL Dobcross Hall 54.80 -2.94 
			 LCP Cassop 54.74 -1.47 
			 BBO Bothel 54.74 -3.25 
			 CKE Keswick 54.59 -3.11 
			 XDE Dent 54.51 -3.49 
			 CWS Winscale Farm 54.47 -3.50 
			 CSF Scafell 54.45 -3.24 
			 SPK Sella Park 54.43 -3.49 
			 CSM Sellafield 54.42 -3.49 
			 LRN Richmond 54.42 -1.80 
			 CDU Dunnerdale 54.34 -3.20 
			 LWH Whinny Nab 54.33 -0.67 
			 GIM Isle Of Man (North) 54.29 -4.47 
			 NANR Nan Hill 54.24 -3.36 
			 GMM Mtns Of Mourne 54.24 -5.95 
			 LMI Millom 54.22 -3.31 
			 WIM Isle Of Man (South) 54.15 -4.67 
			 HPK Haverah Park 53.96 -1.62 
			 LDU Leeds University 53.81 -1.55 
			 LHO Holmefirth 53.55 -1.85 
			 LMK Market Rasen 53.46 -0.33 
			 WME Myndd Eilian 53.40 -4.30 
			 WCB Church Bay 53.38 -4.55 
			 WLF Llynfaes 53.29 -4.40 
			 WPM Penmaenmawr 53.26 -3.90 
			 KBI Birley Grange 53.25 -1.53 
			 YRC Rhoscolyn 53.25 -4.58 
			 YLL Llanberis 53.14 -4.17 
			 STNC Stoke 53.09 -2.21 
			 KWE Weaver Farm 53.02 -1.84 
			 YRE Yr Eifl 52.98 -4.43 
			 KSY Syston 52.96 -0.59 
			 SBD Bryn Du 52.91 -3.26 
			 ABA Baconsthorpe 52.89 1.15 
			 KEY Keyworth 52.88 -1.08 
			 YRH Rhiw 52.83 -4.63 
			 AWI Witton 52.83 1.45 
			 CWF Charnwood Fst 52.74 -1.31 
			 WFB Fairbourne 52.68 -4.04 
			 KWHR Whattburgh Hill 52.64 -0.87 
			 AWH Whinburgh 52.63 0.95 
			 AEU University of East Anglia 52.62 1.24 
			 KUF Ufford 52.62 -0.39 
			 HLM Long Mynd 52.52 -2.88 
			 SSP Stoney Pound 52.42 -3.11 
			 KTG Tilbrook Grnge 52.33 -0.40 
			 HCG Craig Goch 52.32 -3.66 
			 APA Packway 52.30 1.48 
			 HTR Trewern Hill 52.08 -3.27 
			 HBL Bonnylands 52.05 -3.04 
			 HAE Alders End 52.04 -2.54 
			 MCH Michaelchurch 52.00 -3.00 
			 SSW Stow-On-Wold 51.97 -1.85 
			 HPE Pembroke 51.94 -4.77 
			 TCR Colchester 51.83 0.92 
			 HSA Swansea 51.75 -4.15 
			 SKP Kophill 51.72 -0.81 
			 TBW Brentwood 51.65 0.29 
			 HGH Gray Hill 51.64 -2.81 
			 SWN Swindon 51.51 -1.80 
			 SFHR Whitefield 51.49 -1.70 
			 SMD Mendips 51.31 -2.72 
			 TSA Sevenoaks 51.24 0.16 
			 Anvil Anvil Green 51.21 1.02 
			 SWK Warminster 51.15 -2.25 
			 TFO Folkestone 51.11 1.14 
			 Shdoxhurst Shadoxhurst 51.09 0.82 
			 HEX Exmoor 51.07 -3.80 
			 SFH Haselmere 51.06 -0.69 
			 HTL Hartland 50.99 -4.48 
			 TEB Eastbourne 50.82 0.15 
			 SIW Isle of Wight 50.67 -1.37 
			 DYA Yadsworthy 50.44 -3.93 
			 CSA St Austell 50.35 -4.89 
			 DCO Combe Farm 50.32 -3.87 
			 CST Stithians 50.20 -5.16 
			 CCA Carnmenellis 50.19 -5.23 
			 CRQ Rosemanowes 50.17 -5.17 
			 CPZ Penzance 50.16 -5.58 
			 CBW Budock Water 50.15 -5.11 
			 CCO Constantine 50.14 -5.20 
			 CGW Gweek 50.10 -5.22 
			 CMA Manaccan 50.08 -5.13 
			 CGH Goonhilly 50.05 -5.16 
			 JLP Les Platons 49.25 -2.10 
			 JVM Valle D. L. Mare 49.22 -2.21 
			 JDC Queens Valley Dam 49.20 -2.04 
			 JQE Queens East 49.20 -2.04 
			 JRS Maison St Louis 49.19 -2.09 
			 JSA St Aubins 49.19 -2.17 
			 JFRR Fort Regent 49.18 -2.10 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Seismic stations owned by the MOD 
			  Site code  Name  Latitude  Longitude 
			 EKA Eskdalemuir Array 53.33 -3.16 
			 LLW Llanuwychllyn 52.85 -3.67 
			 LPW Lampeter 52.11 -4.07 
			 BKN Blacknest Local Network 51.36 -1.19 
			 WOL Wolverton 51.31 -1.22 
			 SBD St Breward 50.57 -4.69 
			  Note:  Latitude and longitude are given in degrees with decimal fractions, with west represented as negative.

Submarines

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many attack submarines the Royal Navy will have in each of the next 10 years; and what the in-service date would be of each boat in a flotilla of  (a) six,  (b) seven and  (c) eight Astute-class submarines.

Bob Ainsworth: holding answer 24 October 2007
	On present plans, which are regularly reviewed, the number of Attack submarines in each year is as follows:
	
		
			   Number of vessels 
			 2007 9 
			 2008 8 
			 2009 8 
			 2010 8 
			 2011 7 
			 2012 7 
			 2013 7 
			 2014 7 
			 2015 7 
			 2016 7 
		
	
	It is departmental policy to release in-service dates only for those vessels for which the main investment decision has been taken. HMS Astute's in-service date is programmed for 2009 with the next three submarines of the class to follow in 2010, 2012 and 2015 respectively.

Territorial Army: Health

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what account is taken of performance in the combat fitness test in the assessment of  (a) suitability and  (b) progress of Territorial Army applicants for potential junior NCO courses; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: Territorial Army personnel are only usually allowed to undertake potential Junior Non-Commissioned Officer (JNCO) courses if they have passed the Military Annual Training Test (MATT), of which the Combat Fitness Test (CFT) is a constituent part, and if they are deemed suitable (including being mentally and physically fit) to attend by their unit.
	TA personnel who are unable to meet the JNCO course standards set out by their Corps (including the CFT if it is part of the syllabus) are unlikely to progress and be recommended for promotion.

Territorial Army: Pay

Charles Kennedy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what delays are occurring to payments to Territorial Army personnel arising from the introduction of the new pay system; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: There are no known systemic problems that may have caused any delay in payments to Territorial Army personnel.
	Delays or errors in individual payments can occur as the result of late or incorrect inputs by unit Human Resources staff and can also be due to failure to follow the correct processes within the payroll delivery area.

Trident

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Meirionnydd Nant Conwy (Mr. Llwyd) of 26 July 2007,  Official Report, column 1252W, on Trident, how often in each year he expects to present to Parliament interim reports on meeting progress targets in the programme development before the Initial Gate of the replacement for Trident; whether he plans to include financial expenditure details with each interim report; and if he will make it his policy to present each report to Parliament accompanied by an oral statement.

Des Browne: holding answer 24 October 2007
	 Interim reports on the programme to maintain the UK's nuclear deterrent will be provided depending on progress. We are in the early stages of this programme and there are no plans as yet to provide an interim report.

TRiM Programme

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what evaluation has been made of the efficacy of the TRiM programme.

Derek Twigg: The Academic Centre for Defence Mental Health and the Kings Centre for Military Health Research, has conducted a randomised control trial into Trauma Risk Management (TRiM). The study was fully funded by the MOD. The results of this trial will be published in due course.

Unidentified Flying Objects

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department's (Air Staff)/Defence Secretariat is responsible for the evaluation of reported unidentified flying objects.

Derek Twigg: The Directorate of Air Staff remains responsible for the evaluation of reported unidentified flying objects, calling, if necessary, for advice from other branches.

Warships: Brunei

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with his counterpart in Brunei on the on-selling of three BAE-built warships by that country; what the requirements are for end-user reporting and certification; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: Defence Ministers have had no discussions with the Brunei Government about potential purchasers for the three offshore patrol vessels built by BAE Systems.
	As the ships are controlled for export and are in the UK, a licence will be required before export. Applicants are required to provide details of the end-user as part of the licensing process.

Written Questions

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he will answer question 157096, tabled by the hon. Member of Mid Worcestershire on 8 October, on the office issuing medals to the Army.

Derek Twigg: holding answer 25 October 2007
	 I replied to the hon. Member today. I apologise for the delay in replying which was due to an administrative error.

Written Questions

Humfrey Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when will he reply to Question 156924, on service personnel serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, tabled by the hon. Member for Woking on 10 October 2007.

Derek Twigg: holding answer 25 October 2007
	I replied to the hon. Member today.

HEALTH

Accident and Emergency Departments: Greater London

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people attended accident and emergency at  (a) Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup and  (b) Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Woolwich in each of the last five years.

Ben Bradshaw: The information is not held in the format requested. The following table shows attendances at the accident and emergency departments, minor injury units and Walk in Centres of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital National Health Service Trusts and the Queen Mary's Sidcup NHS Trust from 2002-07.
	
		
			  Name  Total attendances 
			   2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Queen Elizabeth Hospital NHS Trust 77,320 88,657 98,389 105,171 99,690 
			 Queen Mary's Sidcup NHS Trust 80,526 68,049 73,102 73,993 74,680 
			  Note:  Attendances at Walk in Centres were included in the collection from 2003-04.

Alcoholic Drinks: Young People

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many individuals aged 11 to 18 years resident in Ribble Valley constituency were treated for alcohol-related health problems in each year since 1997.

Dawn Primarolo: The information is not available in the format required.
	The following table shows the number of finished admission episodes in the Hyndburn and Ribble Valley PCT where there was a primary diagnosis of alcohol related disease for those aged between 11-18 at admission from 1997-98 to 2005-06.
	
		
			   Finished admission episodes 
			 2005-06 26 
			 2004-05 21 
			 2003-04 22 
			 2002-03 26 
			 2001-02 28 
			 2000-01 15 
			 1999-2000 28 
			 1998-99 13 
			 1997-98 15 
			  Notes: 1. Finished in-year admissions An admission episode is the first episode in a patient's hospital stay. An episode is defined as a period of inpatient care under a single consultant. For finished in year admission episodes, only those admission episodes that start and finish in the same financial year are counted. Please note that admissions do not represent the number of in-patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year. 2. Diagnosis (primary diagnosis) The primary diagnosis is the first of up to 14 (seven prior to 2002-03) diagnosis fields in the Hospital Episode Statistics data set and provides the main reason why the patient was in hospital. F10 Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of alcohol K70 Alcoholic liver disease T51 Toxic effect of alcohol Please note that alcohol related is not a clearly defined condition and there may be some differences in codes used for different cases. These are defined by a primary diagnosis of mental and behavioural disorders due to alcohol (ICD10 code F10), alcoholic liver disease (K70) and toxic effect of alcohol (T51) in this reply. Counts for primary diagnoses are included only where these conditions were the main reason for the patients to be admitted to hospitals, therefore, counts do not include patients who were admitted to hospitals for any other reason than defined by the above diagnoses that may have been treated in hospitals with any of these diagnoses as a secondary condition. 3. Ungrossed data Figures have not been adjusted for shortfalls in data (i.e. the data are ungrossed).  Source: Hospital Episode Statistics, Information Centre for health and social care.

Alzheimer's Disease: Drugs

Dennis Skinner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost was of providing drugs for Alzheimer's disease in the last five years.

Dawn Primarolo: The cost of providing drugs for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (donepezil, galantamine, memantine and rivastigmine(1)) in England is in the following table.
	(1) Rivastigmine is also licensed for dementia associated with Parkinson's disease and some of the data may relate to prescriptions dispensed for that condition.
	
		
			  000 
			   Net ingredient cost of drugs dispensed in the community  Cost of dispensing drugs prescribed in secondary care 
			 2002 20,567 6,720 
			 2003 31,347 9,204 
			 2004 42,765 11,160 
			 2005 49,257 11,973 
			 2006 58,969 11,943 
			  Sources: 1. Prescription Cost Analysis (PCA) system. 2.  IMS HEALTH: Hospital Pharmacy Audit.

Ambulance Services

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance he is giving to NHS ambulance trusts in light of the Sheffield Study.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department does not plan to issue any guidance to NHS ambulance trusts in the light of the study undertaken by the Medical Care Research Unit in Sheffield, subsequently published in the  Emergency Medicine Journal.
	It is for the local NHS to plan and provide services. The organisation of services is therefore a matter for local NHS organisations, working with their strategic health authorities and stakeholders. The NHS should seek to provide care as close to home as is compatible with clinical safety and therefore how the NHS responds to emergencies needs to focus not just on getting the patient to a particular location, but also on taking care to the patient. In addition, in order to provide patients requiring particular specialised services with safe, high quality care, it may be appropriate to have the expertise, experience and equipment in fewer locations.

Ambulance Services: South West Region

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effect of the merger of the former Avon, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ambulance trusts on  (a) the use of resources and  (b) quality of services provided.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department has not made an assessment of the effects of the merger.

Ambulance Services: Standards

Philip Dunne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the lowest number of ambulances available for emergency response in Shropshire is likely to be on a single day in 2007-08; whether there is a minimum number of on-call units set for safe coverage; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many ambulances were available for emergency response in Shropshire  (a) in each month from December 2006 and  (b) on each day in October 2007.

Dawn Primarolo: This information is not held centrally. The hon. Member should contact his ambulance trust for this information.

Anti-psychotic Drugs

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  pursuant to the answer of 19 February 2007,  Official Report, columns 408-9W, on anti-psychotic drugs, how many adverse reaction reports were received through the yellow card system for  (a) all anti-psychotic drugs,  (b) traditional anti-psychotic drugs and  (c) atypical anti-psychotic drugs since 31 December 2006; how many prescriptions there were for each type of drug for those aged (i) 60 to 64, (ii) 65 to 74 and (iii) 75 years and over in that period; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many adverse reaction reports were received through the yellow card reporting system for  (a) all anti-psychotic drugs,  (b) traditional anti-psychotic drugs and  (c) atypical anti-psychotic drugs in (i) 2004-05, (ii) 2005-06 and (iii) 2006-07, broken down by those aged (A) 50 to 64, (B) 65 to 74 and (C) 75 years and over; and how many prescriptions were issued for each type of drug in each year;
	(3)  how many adverse reaction reports were received through the yellow card reporting system for  (a) all anti-psychotic drugs,  (b) traditional anti-psychotic drugs and  (c) atypical anti-psychotic drugs in 2006; and how many prescriptions there were for each type of drug for those aged (i) 50 to 64, (ii) 65 to 74 and (iii) 75 years and over.

Dawn Primarolo: Anti-psychotic drugs are used in the treatment of schizophrenia and other psychotic illnesses, and as with all marketed drugs their safety is continually monitored by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and Commission for Human Medicines (CHM). The British National Formulary lists antipsychotic medicines in sections 4.2.1 and 4.2.2.
	The numbers of anti-psychotic prescription items from the Prescription Cost Analysis (PCA) database are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Numbers of prescriptions showing numbers of anti-psychotic prescription items between 1 April 2004 and 31 March 2007 
			  Financial year  All anti-psychotics  Atypical anti-psychotics  Traditional anti-psychotics 
			 2004-05 5,666,765 3,314,862 2,351,903 
			 2005-06 5,970,940 3,721,212 2,249,728 
			 2006-07 6,308,226 4,175,920 2,132,306 
		
	
	The necessary information is not available to break these figures down into the age groups in the first part of the question.
	Reports of suspected adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are collected by the MHRA and CHM through the spontaneous reporting scheme; the yellow card scheme.
	The following tables show the number of suspected ADR reports received by the MHRA in the specified time periods where an anti-psychotic drug was listed by the reporter as being suspect. The total ADR reports for all anti-psychotics is not equal to the sum of both atypical and traditional anti-psychotics since an individual ADR report may provide more than one drug as suspect.
	
		
			  Suspected ADR reports received by the MHRA between 31 December 2006 and 21 October 2007 
			   Number 
			 All anti-psychotics 1,865 
			 Atypical anti-psychotics 1,752 
			 Traditional anti-psychotics 137 
		
	
	
		
			  Number of suspected ADR reports received by the MHRA between 1 April 2004 and 31 March 2007, broken down by financial year and into age groups of 50-64 years, 65-74 years and 75 or over years 
			  All anti - psychotics  Age group 
			  Financial  y ear  50-64  65-74  75+  Total all age groups 
			 2004-05 379 96 84 2,216 
			 2005-06 371 97 73 2,495 
			 2006-07 392 94 72 2,218 
		
	
	
		
			  Atypical anti-psychotics  Age group 
			  Financial year  50-64  65-74  75+  Total all age groups 
			 2004-05 362 78 78 2,111 
			 2005-06 345 85 57 2,315 
			 2006-07 352 81 56 2,034 
		
	
	
		
			  Traditional anti-psychotics  Age group 
			  Financial year  50-64  65-74  75+  Total all age groups 
			 2004-05 17 17 7 113 
			 2005-06 30 13 18 204 
			 2006-07 41 11 21 199 
		
	
	
		
			  Suspected ADR reports received by the MHRA between 1 January 2006 and 31 December 2006 
			   Number 
			 All anti-psychotics 2,127 
			 Atypical anti-psychotics 1,920 
			 Traditional anti-psychotics 226 
		
	
	It is important to note that the submission of a suspected ADR report does not necessarily mean that it was caused by the drug. Many factors have to be taken into account in assessing causal relationships including temporal association, the possible contribution of concomitant medication and the underlying disease.

Anti-psychotic Drugs: Elderly

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people over the age of 60 years were prescribed anti-psychotic drug treatments on the NHS in  (a) England and  (b) each strategic health authority in (i) 2006 and (ii) 2007; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: Estimates of the number of anti-psychotic drug prescription items dispensed in the community in England and in each of the strategic health authorities to people over the age of 60 years are in the following table.
	
		
			  Thousand 
			  Strategic health authority  Estimated number of prescription items 2006  Estimated number of prescription items January-August 2007 
			 East Midlands 195 139 
			 East of England 256 182 
			 London 299 217 
			 North East 153 109 
			 North West 417 313 
			 South Central 189 137 
			 South East Coast 215 153 
			 South West 243 176 
			 West Midlands 267 188 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 274 194 
			 England 2,507 1,808 
			  Source: Prescription Cost Analysis (PCA) system

Blood: Donors

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the compliance with human rights legislation of his Department's policy that gay and bisexual men may not donate blood to the National Blood Service.

Ivan Lewis: The Department considers that the donor selection criterion is compliant with the Human Rights Act 1998. The aim of donor selection criteria is to protect the health of the population and has proven to be an essential element in reducing transfusion-transmitted infections. Donor selection criteria, including this one, are set by the Joint UK Blood Transfusion Services and National Institute of Biological Standards and Control Professional Advisory Committee, and kept under review by the Advisory Committee on the Microbiological Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs for Transplantation.

Blood: Prisoners

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what records are kept relating to blood donations made by prisoners in secure accommodation for the manufacture of UK blood products since 1979; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  when the National Blood Service stopped accepting donations from prisoners held in secure accommodation in  (a) England,  (b) Scotland and  (c) Wales as a source of blood products for the manufacture of blood products; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: holding answer 25 October 2007
	Prior to 1993, the blood services were managed on a regional basis. We have established that Regional Transfusion Directors in England started to phase out blood collections from prisons from 1980. We do not hold information for Scotland and Wales.
	The Department does not hold information relating to individual blood donations made by prisoners. However, the Department is in the process of releasing all the documents which were considered in the Review of Documentation Relating to the Safety of Blood Products 1970-1985 (Non-A, Non-B Hepatitis). Numerous documents are already in the public domain, including some documentation which relates to the use of blood from prisons, although not on individual donations. These papers are available on the Department's website at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Freedomofinformationpublicationschemefeedback/FOIreleases/DH_076693

Bolingbroke Hospital: Out-patients

Martin Linton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to make a decision on the transfer of out-patient services from Bolingbroke hospital to St. John's Therapy Centre referred by Wandsworth council.

Ben Bradshaw: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has requested the Independent Reconfiguration Panel (IRP) to undertake an assessment to determine the suitability of the case from Wandsworth Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee (HOSC) for full IRP review and it has provided its advice.
	My right hon. Friend has accepted in full the recommendations of the IRP. This means that the proposals relating to the transfer of the majority of services in the short term from Bolingbroke hospital to St. John's Therapy Centre and to close, but not dispose of, the site until consultation on the long term future of health services in Battersea and North Wandsworth is complete should be implemented. The Secretary of State has written to the HOSC council, the local national health service and all local hon. Members informing them of the decision.

Breasts: Health Services

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to implement the Government commitment that everyone with breast problems should see a specialist within two weeks of a referral by their GP.

Ann Keen: In September, my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister announced proposals for cancer services including a guaranteed appointment with a specialist within two weeks of referral for all patients with breast problems, not just those with suspected cancer.
	We aim to publish the Cancer Reform Strategy, which will set out the future direction of cancer services in England, by the end of the year. Details on the implementation of the proposals already announced will be issued in due course.

British Pregnancy Advisory Service Consultation Centres: Medical Equipment

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what resuscitation equipment is provided at British Pregnancy Advisory Service consultation centres; on how many occasions this equipment was used in each of the last five years for which information is available; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: Information on the use of such equipment is not collected centrally.

Broomfield Hospital: Private Finance Initiative

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects the Broomfield Hospital Private Finance Initiative Scheme to receive final approval.

Ben Bradshaw: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 10 September 2007,  Official Report, column 1951W.

Broomfield Hospital: Scouts and Guides

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the holding reply of 18 October 2007, when he will provide a substantive answer to question 158832, on treatment of Jamboree attenders at Broomfield Hospital, Chelmsford, tabled by the hon. Member for West Chelmsford on 12 October 2007.

Ben Bradshaw: A reply was given on 23 October.

Budgeting: Handbooks

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the presentation entitled Policy Costing Overview given at the Financial Management and Reporting Steering Group meeting on 23 March 2007, for what reasons a costing handbook was necessary.

Ben Bradshaw: The Policy Costing Handbook brought together good practice that already existed within the Department, codifying it and presenting it as a step-by-step process, to help all policy makers improve their forecasting of the financial impacts.

Care Homes: Fees and Charges

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which local authorities provide intermediate care free of charge to older people for the first six weeks of their confinement.

Ivan Lewis: All local authorities in England should provide intermediate care services free of charges for the first six weeks of treatment.
	The Department does not collect information on intermediate care provided by local authorities.

Care Homes: Nutrition

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many incidents of malnutrition there were among the elderly in  (a) private and  (b) NHS-run care homes in each of the last 10 years, broken down by (i) age of patient and (ii) region; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: Detailed information on incidents of malnutrition in private and national health service-run care homes broken down by age and region is not held centrally.

Care Homes: Nutrition

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to ensure that food served in care homes meets satisfactory nutritional levels; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: This year, two Nutrition Summits were held in March and July, to gather important stakeholders together to look at the issues around nutrition and nutritional care. As a result of the summits, we have devised a nutrition action plan jointly produced by the nutrition Summit stakeholders group and the Department, to tackle a wide range of issues and barriers to improving nutrition and nutritional care.
	The nutrition action plan will be published tomorrow and there will be an ongoing monitoring of how stakeholders and their work have contributed to the aims of the plan through a governance board. The governance board will be accountable to Ministers for progress towards the actions outlined and there will be a progress report in Summer 2008.

Carers' Allowances

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  whether the carers grant will be renewed beyond March 2008;
	(2)  how much was available through the carers grant in each year since its inception.

Ivan Lewis: The carers grant is set to continue throughout the next spending review period as part of the area based grant.
	By 2008, the carers grant will have provided over 1 billion in support for carers. Information regarding the amount of the carers grant in each year since 1999 is in the following table.
	
		
			   Carers grant ( million) 
			 1999-2000 20 
			 2000-01 50 
			 2001-02 70 
			 2002-03 85 
			 2003-04 100 
			 2004-05 125 
			 2005-06 185 
			 2006-07 185 
			 2007-08 185

Carers' Allowances

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with carers' representatives on the settlement for social care funding in the Comprehensive Spending Review; and what the outcome was of those discussions.

Ivan Lewis: As part of the review of the 1999 National Carers Strategy we have had extensive discussions with carers and their representatives on a range of issues including their concerns about the future funding of social care. However, there have been no specific discussions regarding the detail of the recent settlement.
	The Department does meet regularly with both the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services and the Local Government Association. These meetings include discussions on future funding for social services and the potential impact this will have on services for individuals, including carers.

Central Middlesex Birthing Centre

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the future of the Central Middlesex Birthing Centre.

Ben Bradshaw: This is a matter for the local national health service (NHS). However, we have been informed by NHS London that a public consultation on the future of this facility jointly led between Brent Primary Care Trust and North West London Hospitals NHS Trust is planned for November. Any decision on the future of the birthing centre will not be made until the consultation is completed.

Central Middlesex Birthing Centre: Admissions

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients were admitted to Central Middlesex Birthing Centre in each year since it was opened.

Ben Bradshaw: This information is not held centrally by the Department. Figures for admission episodes are only held at trust level, and can not be broken down to individual hospitals. The following table shows the number of in-patients admitted to North West London Hospitals NHS Trust since 2004.
	
		
			   Finished in year admission episodes 
			 2004-05 89,743 
			 2005-06 90,069 
			  Notes: 1. Finished in-year admissions: A finished in-year admission is the first period of in-patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider, excluding admissions beginning before 1 April at the start of the data year. Please note that admissions to not represent the number of in-patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year. 2. Data Quality: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) are compiled from data sent over by over 300 national health service trusts and primary care trusts in England. The Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data via HES processes. While this brings about improvement over time, some shortcomings remain.  3. Ungrossed data: Figures have not been adjusted for shortfalls in data.  Source: HES, The Information Centre for health and social care.

Childbirth: Greater London

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many births there were at  (a) Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup,  (b) Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Woolwich,  (c) Darenth Valley Hospital, Dartford and  (d) Princess Royal Hospital, Farnborough in each of the last five years.

Angela Eagle: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 29 October 2007:
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your question about how many births there were at (a) Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup, (b) Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Woolwich, (c) Darent Valley Hospital, Dartford and (d) Princess Royal Hospital, Farnborough in each of the last five years. I am replying in her absence. (160464)
	Figures on live births in hospitals are available from birth registration information. The latest available figures by place of birth are for 2005.
	
		
			  Live  b irths for selected hospitals, 2001-05 
			  Hospital  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005 
			 Princess Royal Hospital, Farnborough 2,718 2,600 3,003 3,229 3,400 
			 Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup 3,403 3,146 3,080 3,003 2,845 
			 Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Woolwich 2,364 3,097 3,312 3,567 3,764 
			 Darent Valley Hospital, Dartford 2,300 2,378 2,494 2,560 2,804

Childbirth: Greater London

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many registered births there were under the auspices of  (a) Bexley Care Trust,  (b) Greenwich Teaching Primary Care Trust,  (c) Dartford, Gravesham and Swanley Primary Care Trust and  (d) Bromley Care Trust in each of the last five years.

Angela Eagle: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 29 October 2007:
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your question about how many registered births there were under the auspices of (a) Bexley Care Trust, (b) Greenwich Teaching Primary Care Trust, (c) Dartford, Gravesham and Swanley Primary Care Trust and (d) Bromley Care Trust in each of the last five years. I am replying in her absence. (160466)
	Figures on live births to mothers resident in these PCTs are provided in the table below.
	
		
			  Live births to residents of selected primary care trusts, 2002-06 
			   2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			  (a) Bexley Care Trust 2,517 2,640 2,699 2,686 2,788 
			  (b) Greenwich Teaching PCT 3,345 3,446 3,721 3,963 4,236 
			  (c) Dartford, Gravesham and Swanley PCT 2,539 2,611 2,685 2,885  
			 West Kent(1) 8,075 
			  (d) Bromley Care Trust 3,401 3,651 3,589 3,663 3,740 
			 (1) From October 2006 Dartford, Gravesham and Swanley PCT became part of the new West Kent PCT

Children: Health Services

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the presentation entitled Policy Costing Overview given at the Departmental Financial Management and Reporting Steering Group meeting on 23 March 2007, who the problem children are who need dealing with first.

Ben Bradshaw: The reference was part of a wider discussion regarding whether or not it was possible to determine parts of the Department would benefit most from policy costing training. It was decided that training should be provided equally to all parts of the Department.

Chiropody: Standards

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to include chiropody in the NHS maximum waiting time target of 18 weeks; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: Therapies and treatments delivered by health professions, including chiropody services, are included in the 18-week maximum waiting time target if they form part of a consultant-led pathway.
	In order to support all services provided by allied health professionals, the Department is implementing a therapies improvement programme. The programme will focus on improving access to allied health professional services, the available information and data management. The programme will support improvement in therapy services through providing local events and information for allied health professionals and local health communities.

Chlamydia: Screening

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress his Department is making towards the aim that primary care trusts should screen 15 per cent. of the 15 to 24-year-old population for chlamydia; when his Department set this aim; whether this aim refers to the proportion of the 15 to 24-year-old population screened over a number of years or annually; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: Local Delivery Plans are negotiated as part of the Operating Framework for the national health service for 2007-08. All primary care trusts are expected to screen 15 per cent. of the target population between April 2007 and March 2008 and strategic health authorities submitted plans on how they intend to reach the target in this year. For the first quarter of 2007-08 there were 45,845 screens reported to the Health Protection Agency, this equates to 0.6 per cent. of the target population. The second quarter data will be published in November. For chlamydia screening, the 15 per cent. target refers to the population between the ages of 15-24 in England provided by the Office for National Statistics.

Clostridium

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the prevalence of  (a) Clostridium difficile and  (b) MRSA was in each of the last three years using the definition of prevalence included in the Third Prevalence Survey of Healthcare Associated Infections in Acute Hospitals in England 2006, published by his Department on 12 September.

Ann Keen: It is not possible to compare the results of the Third Prevalence Survey of Healthcare Associated Infections in acute hospitals in England 2006 with the incidence data collected by the Health Protection Agency on  Clostridium difficile and Methicillin-resistant  Staphylococcus aureus as these are fundamentally different ways of collecting information on infection rates.

Continence and Stoma Review

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what role Deloitte MCS has played in the continence and stoma review; whether payment by results was included in the contract between his Department and Deloitte; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: Deloitte are acting as advisers to the Department on this review. The contract between the Department and its adviser is commercial and in confidence.

Dementia

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the  (a) prevalence and  (b) cost of treating dementia in England in the latest period for which figures are available.

Ivan Lewis: The Department has not made a recent estimate of the prevalence and cost of dementia. Expenditure on social care for people with dementia is not held centrally but an estimate of national health service expenditure on mental health (including dementia) is available from the programme budgeting returns. This shows that in the 2005-06 financial year, gross expenditure on mental health was estimated at 8.5 billion, with 0.9 billion of this total made up of spend on dementia.
	Estimates for the prevalence and costs of dementia in England are contained in the Dementia UK report generated by the London School of Economics and the Institute of Psychiatry, King's College, London and published by the Alzheimer's Society. This estimates that there are 560,000 people with dementia in England. The same report estimates that dementia costs the economy 14.3 billion per year; this includes costs to health and social care services, direct spending on services by families, and the costs of support provided by directly by family carers.

Dental Services

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate his Department has made of the number of people using NHS dentists as a percentage of the population in  (a) East Midlands,  (b) East of England,  (c) London,  (d) North East,  (e) North West,  (f) South Central,  (g) South East Coast,  (h) South West,  (i) West Midlands and  (j) Yorkshire and the Humber strategic health authority area.

Ann Keen: The numbers of patients seen in the 24-month period ending 31 March 2007 expressed as a percentage of the population are available in Tables Cl and C2 of Annex 3 of the NHS Dental Statistics for England 2006-07 report.
	Information is available at strategic health authority and primary care trust area in England.
	This report is available in the Library and is also available at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/dental0607

Dental Services: Greater London

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of the population in each London borough are registered with a  (a) dentist and  (b) GP practice.

Ben Bradshaw: The information about the percentage population registered with dentists and general practitioners is not held centrally by the Department.
	With regard to dentists, since April 2006, patients no longer have to be registered with a dental practice to receive national health service care and treatment.
	The closest equivalent measure to 'registration' is the number of patients receiving NHS dental services ('patients seen') in a given area over a 24-month period, expressed as a percentage of the estimated population for that area. However, this is not directly comparable to the registration data for earlier years.
	The numbers of patients seen in the 24-month periods ending 31 March 2006 and 31 March 2007 and the number expressed as a percentage of the population are available in tables C1 and C2 of annex 3 of the NHS Dental Statistics for England 2006-07 report. Information is available at strategic health authority and primary care trust (PCT) area in England.
	This report is available in the Library and is also available on-line at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/dental0607
	Information cannot be made available at London borough level without disproportionate cost.
	With regard to GPs, GP registered populations for PCTs are available from NHS information systems. Total resident population estimates are available from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) census. However, these two data are not directly comparable for the purposes of working out a proportion of the population registered with a GP.
	Data for the percentage of the population registered with a GP practice is not directly comparable due to:
	people may be on a patient register after having left the country and not deregistered with their GP; similarly people may have moved to another area and not re-registered;
	some patients may have more than one NHS number e.g. they may have been issued a temporary number for a short period;
	a significant proportion of people registered to a GP in one PCT may be resident in another PCT, particularly in urban areas; and
	immigrants may have registered with GP practices before they appear in ONS mid-year estimates.
	These factors have a differential impact from place to place.

Dental Services: Wokingham and Reading

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what spare capacity, expressed in patient numbers, is available for  (a) under 18,  (b) over 18 fee-paying and  (c) over 18 charge-exempt people to register with each dental practice in Wokingham; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what spare capacity, expressed in patient numbers, is available for  (a) under 18,  (b) over 18 fee-paying and  (c) over 18 charge-exempt people to register with each dental practice in Reading; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: The information requested is not held centrally.

Departmental Strategies

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 4 September 20067,  Official Report, column 2085W, on departmental strategies, when he will publish an urgent care strategy; whether the work being undertaken by the Healthcare Commission as part of its review of urgent and emergency care will inform the urgent care strategy; and to what extent Lord Darzi will consider the provision of urgent care as part of his review of the NHS.

Ben Bradshaw: The consultation Direction of Travel for Urgent Care: a discussion document, asked staff and service users how urgent care services can be improved in the future to deliver a better patient experience. We will be publishing very soon a summary of the findings of this consultation along with actions we will be taking forward to support the development of urgent care services. Responses to the consultation have informed the NHS Next Stage Review, including the interim report published on 4 October 2007.
	The NHS will need to take account of the findings of the Healthcare Commission's review of urgent and emergency care, when it reports.

Departments: Disabled

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which buildings occupied by his Department  (a) are and  (b) are not fully accessible to disabled people; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department occupies six principal buildings, five in London and one in Leeds. All of these buildings are considered by the Department to be fully accessible to disabled persons.

Departments: Internet

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many websites his Department operates; how many it operated at 1 January 2005; and what the estimated annual cost has been of running his Department's websites in the last five years.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department is unable to provide the data requested for 1 January 2005 and to gather this information would incur disproportionate costs. However, data as at 31 March 2007 is as follows:
	The Department currently has ownership of two main websites. They are:
	The Department of Health website: www.dh.gov.uk
	NHS Choices: www.nhs.uk
	In addition to the two main websites above, the Department funds and/or manages a further 111 websites.
	The Department is actively engaged in reducing this number of sites, in accordance with the guidelines and timetables set for website rationalisation under Transformational Government. The Department has already shutdown 28 websites and has plans in place to terminate 52 sites out of the 111 figure above. By the end of this project in 2011, all 111 sites will either be closed or migrated to DH.gov.uk, NHS Choices, NHS Direct, Directgov or Business Link.
	To identify the number of agency and non-departmental public body websites associated with the Department of Health, which are not all directly operated by the Department, as at 1 January 2005, would incur disproportionate costs.
	The annual costs for including maintenance and project costs for running the Departments websites are:
	The Department's website: www.dh.gov.uk
	
		
			  Annual costs 
			
			 2002-03 1,843,960 
			 2003-04 2,799,800 
			 2004-05 724,956 
			 2005-06 1,079,222 
			 2006-07 (1)3,913,643 
			 (1) This includes the cost of contingency arrangements due to the late delivery of the new service, most of which will be recovered in compensation from the supplier. 
		
	
	The Department's website: www.nhs.uk
	
		
			  Annual costs 
			million 
			 2005-06 1.6 
			 2006-07 1.8 
		
	
	Costs for previous years are held on legacy systems and to gather this information would incur disproportionate cost.
	Other Department of Health websites.
	For the additional 111 sites the Department is able to provide an estimated cost for 35 of these sites.
	The total estimated cost for these websites in 2006-07 was 699,134. This cost is approximate and cannot be broken down further. It is important to note that some sites include campaign expenditure and start-up funding, and therefore costs will be spread over a period of years. To assemble the statistics for previous years would incur disproportionate cost.

Departments: Internet

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hits the  (a) most popular and  (b) least popular website run by his Department has received since 1 January 2007.

Ben Bradshaw: The most popular DH website run by the Department since 1 January 2007 is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Month (2007)  Most popular website  Number of page impressions 
			 January Departmental website (www.dh.gov.uk) 830,614 
			 February Departmental website (www.dh.gov.uk) 767,136 
			 March Departmental website (www.dh.gov.uk) 1,073,029 
			 April Departmental website (www.dh.gov.uk) 909,410 
			 May Departmental website (www.dh.gov.uk) 1,039,017 
			 June Departmental website (www.dh.gov.uk) 962,189 
			 July National Health Service Choices (www.nhs.uk) 1,341,993 
			 August NHS Choices (www.nhs.uk) 1,326,862 
		
	
	In addition to the two websites listed above, the Department funds and/or manages a further 111 websites. To gather the monthly 'hits' data for these sites in order to determine the number of 'hits' on the least popular would incur disproportionate costs.
	The Department is actively engaged in reducing this number of these sites, in accordance with the guidelines and timetables set for website rationalisation under Transformational Government. The Department has already shut down 27 websites and has plans in place to terminate 53 sites out of the 111 figure above. By the end of this project in 2011, all 111 sites will either be closed or migrated to DH.gov.uk, NHS Choices, NHS Direct, Directgov or Business Link.

Departments: Internet

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many websites his Department has operated in each month since May 2005; what sites his Department currently operates; if he will list all sites his Department has (a) agreed to close and (b) agreed to close in principle; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: Department currently has ownership of two main websites. They are:
	The Department's website: www.dh.gov.uk
	NHS Choices: www.nhs.uk
	In addition to the two main websites, the Department on, 31 March 2007, identified a further 111 websites that it currently funds and/or manages.
	Of these, the Department has:
	agreed to close 52 sites and has a firm date/plan to do so.
	agreed in principle to close 56 sites but has not yet brokered this with the relevant stakeholders; and
	identified three sites that are part-funded by the Department and are under further investigation
	A breakdown is provided in the following table.
	Also, the Department's campaign sites (which were previously planned for exemption status) will also be attached to a larger national health service entity or other sites, as appropriate.
	These are:
	www.condomessentialwear.co.uk (previously www.playingsafely.co.uk)
	www.stayinghard.co.uk
	www.gosmokefree.co.uk
	www.uglysmoking.co.uk
	To gather month-by-month data since May 2005 will incur disproportionate cost.
	Sites the Department has agreed to close, and has firm plans and a firm date to do so
	
		
			   Websites 
			 Information www.info.ddh.gov.uk/hscd/nhsft.nsf 
			 NHSProtocol Based Care www.modern.nhs.uk/protocolbasedcare 
			 Asthma Management www.asthmar-d.org.uk 
			 Bug Investigators www.buginvestigators.co.uk 
			 Carers Government www.carers.gov.uk 
			 Centre for Healthcare Architecture and Design www.chad.dh.gov.uk 
			 Chief Medical Officer's website survey www.info.doh.gov.uk/cmo/cmosur01.nsf/frmcmosurvey?openform 
			 Childcare co-ordinators database e.doh.gov.uk/childcarecoordinators/search.asp 
			 Children's National Service Framework www.info.doh.gov.uk/doh/nsfrusers.nsf/Main?readForm 
			 Clean Hospitals www.cleanhospitals.com 
			 Departmental Publications www.publications.doh.gov.uk 
			 Departmental tag team disc www.info.doh.gov.uk/doh/tagteamdisc.nsf/main?readformlogin 
			 DVTA www.dvta.nhs.uk 
			 Emergency care discussion forum www.info.doh.gov.uk/doh/emergencycareforum.nsf/ 
			 End of life care www.endoflifecare.nhs.uk 
			 Health at work www.healthatwork.nhs.uk 
			 Health in prisons www.hipp-europe.org 
			 Independence, well-being and choice, a Green Paper on Adult Social Care: Format Request www.info.doh.gov.uk/ASC/ASCGP01.nsf/frmMedReq?OpenForm 
			 Inspection of Social Care Services for Disabled People www.info.doh.gov.uk/doh/nursinglistdiscuss.nsf 
			 Inspection of Social Care Services for Disabled People www.info.doh.gov.uk/doh/scrquest.nsf/home?readform 
			 Leadership through effective people management www.hrmdev.com 
			 Letters and circulars www.info.doh.gov.uk/doh/coin4.nsf/circulars?readform 
			 Media Centre www.info.doh.gov.uk/doh/intpress.nsf/page/2002-0531?opendocument 
			 Minority Health www.minorityhealth.gov.uk 
			 National Service Framework for Children, Young People and Maternity Services www.childrensnsfcasestudies.dh.gov.uk/children/nsfcasestudies.nsf 
			 NatPaCT www.natpact.nhs.uk 
			 NHS Equality www.equality.nhs.uk 
			 NHS Estates-Decontamination www.decontamination.nhsestates.gov.uk 
			 NHS Estates Chad www.nhsestates/chad/chad content/home/asp 
			 NHS Fellowships www.nhs.uk/fellowships 
			 NHS Graduates www.graduates.modern.nhs.uk 
			 NHS Organ Donor www.nhs.uk/organdonor/thesolution 
			 NHS Research Ethics www.corecform.org.uk 
			 Committee Application Form  
			 NHSU www.nhsu.nhs.uk 
			 Nursing Leadership www.nursingleadership.co.uk 
			 Out of Hours www.out-of-hours.info 
			 Playing Safely www.playingsafely.co.uk 
			 Protection of children Act Tribunal (1) www.pocat.gov.uk 
			 Royal CommissionElderly www. royal-commission-elderly.gov.uk 
			 The Big Quit www.thebigquit.co.uk. 
			 Wrecked www.wrecked.co.uk 
			 www.haznet.org.uk www.haznet.org.uk 
			 www.hcsambassadors.org www.hcsambassadors.org 
			 Your Life www.yourlife.nhs.uk 
			 National Research Register www.nrr.nhs.uk 
			 RD Info www.rdinfo.org.uk 
			 RD Learning www.rdlearning.org.uk 
			 RDDirect www.rddirect.org.uk 
			 Research Findings Register www.info.doh.gov.uk/doh/refr_web.nsf/Home?OpenForm 
			 Research Findings Register www.refer.nhs.uk 
			 York CRD www.york.ac.uk/inst/crd/index.htm 
			 Forensic Mental Health www.nfmhp.org.uk/index.htm 
			 Health Impact Gateway www.hiagateway.org.uk 
			 (1 )site closed since publication of progress report. 
		
	
	Sites the Department has agreed in principle to close but has not brokered this with its stakeholders and/or does not have firm plans/firm date to do so yet:
	
		
			   Websites 
			 18 Weeks www.18weeks.nhs.uk 
			 Activity DataBase www.adb.dh.gov.uk 
			 Advisory Bodies www.advisorybodies.doh.gov.uk 
			 Better Hospital Food (1) www.betterhospitalfood.com 
			 Breast feeding www.breastfeeding.nhs.uk 
			 CMO Update Registration www.info.doh.gov.uk/cmo/CMOUpdate.nsf/RegistrationMenu?Open 
			 Departmental Thesaurus www.multites.com/dhthesaurus 
			 Drug Education and Prevention Information Service (DEPIS) www.info.doh.gov.uk/doh/depisusers.nsf/Main?readForm 
			 Editorial Library www.editoriallibrary.nhs.uk 
			 European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) www.new-ehic.org.uk 
			 Face It www.hepc.nhs.uk 
			 Finance Manual www.info.doh.gov.uk/doh/finman.nsf 
			 Five a day www.5aday.nhs.uk 
			 Healthy Start www.healthystart.nhs.uk 
			 Healthy Start www.hsru.co.uk 
			 http://194.200.241.107/fd/finallow.nsf/main?readform http://194.200.241.107/fd/finallow.nsf/main?readform 
			 Immunisation Group Web Programme (IGWP) www.info.doh.gov.uk/Cvts/VTSPCW.nsf 
			 Information Asset Register www.info.doh.gov.uk/doh/iar.nsf?open 
			 Internal Guidance www.info.doh.gov.uk/doh/notice.nsf/frames2?openform 
			 Knowledge and information portal www.estatesknowledge.dh.gov.uk 
			 Mosaic www.mosaic.nhs.uk 
			 National Leadership Network www.nationalleadershipnetwork.org 
			 National Service Framework for Older PeopleOlder People Champions www.info.doh.gov.uk/doh/oldpeople.nsf/main?readform 
			 NHS Decontamination Training Programme www.decontaminationtraining.nhsestates.gov.uk 
			 NHS Factsheets www.info.doh.gov.uk/nhsfactsheets.nsf 
			 NHS Identity www.nhsidentity.nhs.uk 
			 NHS Photo Library www.photolibrary.nhs.uk 
			 NHS Plus www.nhsplus.nhs.uk 
			 OneDesign www.design.dh.gov.uk 
			 Pathology Discussion Forum www.info.doh.gov.uk/pathology/patdis01.nsf 
			 Performance Data www.performance.doh.gov.uk 
			 Primary Care www.primarycare.nhsestates.gov.uk 
			 ProCure21 www.nhs-procure21.gov.uk 
			 Public Health Link www.info.doh.gov.uk/doh/embroadcast.nsf 
			 Putting Action On Health Inequalities Into Practice www.info.doh.gov.uk/publichealth/hidis.nsf 
			 Renal Learning Sets Discussion Forum www.info.doh.gov.uk/renalnsf/renaltrans.nsf 
			 Safety Alert Broadcast System www.info.doh.gov.uk/sar/cmopatie.nsf 
			 Sector 64 Grants www.info.doh.gov.uk/Sect64/S64users.nsf 
			 Senior Dental Leadership Team Website www.info.doh.gov.uk/nhs/cdoweb.nsf/Main?OpenFrameset 
			 Social Care Careers www.socialcarecareers.co.uk 
			 Social Work and Care www.socialworkandcare.co.uk 
			 Social Work Careers www.socialworkcareers.co.uk 
			 Treatment Centres www.treatmentcentres.org.uk 
			 www.info.doh.gov.uk/alb/albchange.nsf www.info.doh.gov.uk/alb/albchange.nsf 
			 www.info.doh.gov.uk/doh/nhslift.nsf/main?readform www.info.doh.gov.uk/doh/nhslift.nsf/main?readform 
			 www.nhsprocure21.dh.gov.uk www.nhsprocure21.dh.gov.uk 
			 Policy Research Programme www.info.doh.gov.uk/doh/rd2policy.nsf 
			 Drugs Misuse Research Initiative www.mdx.ac.uk/www/drugsmisuse/ 
			 Information and Communication Technology Research Initiative www.disco.port.ac.uk/ictri 
			 Involve www.invo.org.uk 
			 National Co-ordinating Centre for Research Methodology www.pcpoh.bham.ac.uk/publichealth/nccrm/index.htm 
			 National Horizon Scanning Centre www.pcpoh.bham.ac.uk/publichealth/horizon/ 
			 The National Coordinating Centre for Research Capacity Development www.nccrcd.nhs.uk 
			 Website rationalisation progress reportMarch 31, 2007

Departments: Ministerial Policy Advisers

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the name is of each special adviser in his Department.

Dawn Primarolo: The annual list of special adviser names will be published shortly.

Departments: Public Expenditure

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 3 September 2007,  Official Report, column 1873W on departments: public expenditure, if he will list those items of specific guidance which relate to spending reviews.

Ben Bradshaw: The Treasury provides numerous pieces of written and oral guidance in the course of each spending review. It would not be practical to trace and list each individual piece of guidance.

Departments: Public Expenditure

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  pursuant to the draft of his Department's Policy Costing Handbook dated 7 March, if he will list his Department's improvement objectives as referred to on page 6;
	(2)  pursuant to the presentation entitled Policy Costing Overview given at the Financial Management and Reporting Steering Group meeting on 23 March 2007, for what reason his Department's relationship with HM Treasury needed to be restored.

Ben Bradshaw: The following six areas were identified for the 2006-07 planning round from work commissioned on business improvement and the staff listening events in 2005.
	improving the way the Department delivers policy;
	improving the Department's system leadership and support;
	improving the Department's service to Ministers and the public;
	improving as an organisation to do business with;
	improving as a place to work; and
	improving how the Department manages our work.
	This reference to restoring the relationship was made in connection with the need to ensure that HM Treasury could place reliance on the existence of an independent financial challenge function in the Department.

Diabetes

Dennis Skinner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) adults and  (b) children have been (i) diagnosed with and (ii) treated for diabetes in the last five years.

Ann Keen: The total number of patients aged 17 and over on practice registers in England who have an appropriate diabetes diagnosis is shown as follows for 2004-05 to 2006-07. These figures are cumulative, rather than representing new diagnoses.
	
		
			   Number of people (million) 
			 2004-05 1.77 
			 2005-06 1.89 
			 2006-07 1.96 
			  Source: Quality and Outcomes Framework, Information Centre for health and social care 2004-05 to 2006-07. 
		
	
	In the United Kingdom, the number of children under the age of 15 with type 1 diabetes is estimated to be 20,000.
	Once an individual has been diagnosed with diabetes they will be able to access support and treatment to manage their condition. The Diabetes National Service Framework, published in 2001, sets out the 12 standards of diabetes care that every primary care trust should aim to meet.

Diabetes

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many persons with diabetes were hospitalised as a result of  (a) eating and  (b) drinking products labelled sugar free that included sucrose and other high levels of sugar in the last 12 months; what recent discussions he has had with food manufacturers on this issue; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: Information on the number of people with diabetes hospitalised as a result of consuming products labelled sugar free is not collected centrally.
	As of 1 July 2007 new European Union Regulation 1924/2006 on nutrition and health claims made on foods means that the claim 'sugar free' can only be made on products which contain no more than 0.5 g of sugars per l00 g or 100 ml. The Food Standards Agency has not had any recent discussions with food manufacturers about this issue.

Diabetes

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) males and  (b) females were diagnosed with diabetes in (i) Southend, (ii) each borough in Essex, (iii) each borough in Kent, (iv) the Metropolitan Police area of London and (v) England in each of the last five years for which figures are available, broken down by age group.

Ann Keen: The following table shows the number of patients of 17 years and over diagnosed with diabetes, as identified by General Practitioner (GP) practices in Essex, Kent and London strategic health authorities, and in England, in the last three years. These figures are cumulative, rather than representing new diagnoses. Figures broken down by age group and gender are not available.
	Detailed figures for Essex, Kent and London by primary care trust:
	
		
			   Strategic health authority( 1)  2004-05  2005-06 
			 Q03 Essex 53,107 58,110 
			 Q18 Kent and Medway 56,092 59,627 
			 Q05 North Central London 42,615 44,358 
			 Q06 North East London 66,488 71,062 
			 Q04 North West London 73,501 77,805 
			 Q07 South East London 52,257 56,030 
			 Q08 South West London 43,666 46,622 
			 
			  England 1,760,000 1,890,000 
			 (1 )Based on old strategic health authority boundaries .  Source: Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF data). Information Centre for health and social care, 2004-05 and 2005-06. 
		
	
	
		
			   Strategic health authority( 1)  2006-07 
			 Q35 East of England Strategic Health Authority 202,796 
			 Q36 London Strategic Health Authority 300,567 
			 Q37 South East Coast Strategic Health Authority 152,785 
			
			  England 1,960,000 
			 (1) Based on new strategic health authority boundaries from 2006.  Source: Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF data). Information Centre for health and social care, 2006-07.  
		
	
	Patients with diabetes aged under 17 are not included because they are regarded as receiving their diabetes management in the secondary care sector.
	
		
			  Number of patients 17 years and over diagnosed with diabetes identified by GP practices in England, Essex, Kent and London, 2004-05 to 2006-07 
			   Strategic health authority   Primary care trust  2004-05  2005-06 
			 Q03 Essex 5GR Basildon 3,571 4,081 
			 Q03 Essex TAG Braintree Care Trust 4,407 4,804 
			 Q03 Essex 5GP Brentwood Billericay and Wickford 3,970 4,386 
			 Q03 Essex 5JP Castle Point and Rochford 5,246 5,763 
			 Q03 Essex 5JN Chelmsford 4,153 4,454 
			 Q03 Essex 5GM Colchester 4,516 5,147 
			 Q03 Essex 5AJ Epping Forest 3,506 3,810 
			 Q03 Essex 5DC Harlow 3,141 3,289 
			 Q03 Essex 5GL Maldon and South Chelmsford 2,447 2,674 
			 Q03 Essex 5AK Southend 5,193 5,786 
			 Q03 Essex 5AH Tendring 6,026 6,390 
			 Q03 Essex 5GQ Thurrock 4,849 5,330 
			 Q03 Essex 5GN Uttlesford 2,082 2,196 
			 Q03 Essex   53,107 58,110 
			   
			 Q18 Kent and Medway 5LL Ashford 3,488 3,788 
			 Q18 Kent and Medway 5LM Canterbury and Coastal 6,010 6,370 
			 Q18 Kent and Medway 5CM Dartford Gravesham and Swanley 8,080 8,443 
			 Q18 Kent and Medway 5LN East Kent Coastal 9,201 9,749 
			 Q18 Kent and Medway 5L2 Maidstone Weald 7,532 8,020 
			 Q18 Kent and Medway 5L3 Medway 8,919 9,667 
			 Q18 Kent and Medway 5LP Shepway 3,861 4,047 
			 Q18 Kent and Medway 5FF South West Kent 5,428 5,676 
			 Q18 Kent and Medway 5L4 Swale 3,573 3,867 
			 Q18 Kent and Medway   56,092 59,627 
			   
			 Q05 North Central London 5A9 Barnet 12,178 12,915 
			 Q05 North Central London 5K7 Camden 5,691 5,893 
			 Q05 North Central London 5C1 Enfield 9,708 10,588 
			 Q05 North Central London 5C9 Haringey 8,989 8,468 
			 Q05 North Central London 5K8 Islington 6,049 6,494 
			 Q05 North Central London   42,615 44,358 
			   
			 Q06 North East London 5C2 Barking and Dagenham 6,122 6,546 
			 Q06 North East London 5C3 City and Hackney Primary Care Team 8,644 8,676 
			 Q06 North East London 5A4 Havering 8,306 8,924 
			 Q06 North East London 5C5 Newham Primary Care Team 13,805 14,596 
			 Q06 North East London SNA Redbridge 10,133 11,802 
			 Q06 North East London 5C4 Tower Hamlets Primary Care Team 9,402 9,812 
			 Q06 North East London 5NC Waltham Forest 10,076 10,706 
			 Q06 North East London   66,488 71,062 
			   
			 Q04 North West London 5K5 Brent 15,236 15,928 
			 Q04 North West London 5HX Ealing 14,409 15,418 
			 Q04 North West London 5H1 Hammersmith and Fulham 4,961 5,236 
			 Q04 North West London 5K6 Harrow 10,233 10,846 
			 Q04 North West London SAT Hillingdon 9,154 9,701 
			 Q04 North West London SHY Hounslow 9,180 9,794 
			 Q04 North West London 5LA Kensington and Chelsea 4,117 4,436 
			 Q04 North West London 5LC Westminster 6,211 6,446 
			 Q04 North West London   73,501 77,805 
			   
			 Q07 South East London TAK Bexley Care Trust 7,589 8,240 
			 Q07 South East London 5A7 Bromley 9,244 10,084 
			 Q07 South East London 5A8 Greenwich 7,443 8,072 
			 Q07 South East London 5LD Lambeth 9,875 10,179 
			 Q07 South East London 5LF Lewisham 9,347 10,161 
			 Q07 South East London 5LE Southwark 8,759 9,294 
			 Q07 South East London   52,257 56,030 
			   
			 Q08 South West London 5K9 Croydon 13,052 13,915 
			 Q08 South West London 5A5 Kingston 5,109 5,478 
			 Q08 South West London 5M6 Richmond and Twickenham 4,235 4,413 
			 Q08 South West London 5M7 Sutton and Merton 12,414 13,406 
			 Q08 South West London 5LG Wandsworth 8,856 9,410 
			 Q08 South West London   43,666 46,622 
			   
			  England   1,760,000 1,890,000 
			  Source:  Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF data).Information Centre for health and social care, 2004-05 and 2005-06. 
		
	
	
		
			  Number of patients 17 years and over diagnosed with diabetes identified by GP practices in England, Essex, Kent and London, 2006-07 
			   Strategic health authority   Primary care trust  2006-07 
			 Q35 East of England Strategic Health Authority 5P2 Bedfordshire PCT 14,970 
			 Q35 East of England Strategic Health Authority 5PP Cambridgeshire PCT 19,579 
			 Q35 East of England Strategic Health Authority 5P3 East and North Hertfordshire PCT 18,244 
			 Q35 East of England Strategic Health Authority 5PR Great Yarmouth And Waveney Teaching PCT 9,173 
			 Q35 East of England Strategic Health Authority 5GC Luton 8,092 
			 Q35 East of England Strategic Health Authority 5PX Mid Essex PCT 12,405 
			 Q35 East of England Strategic Health Authority 5PQ Norfolk Primary Care Trust 27,486 
			 Q35 East of England Strategic Health Authority 5PW North East Essex PCT 12,433 
			 Q35 East of England Strategic Health Authority 5PN Peterborough PCT 6,279 
			 Q35 East of England Strategic Health Authority 5P1 South East Essex PCT 12,499 
			 Q35 East of England Strategic Health Authority SPY South West Essex PCT 14,298 
			 Q35 East of England Strategic Health Authority  5PT Suffolk PCT 20,590 
			 Q35 East of England Strategic Health Authority 5PV West Essex PCT 9,713 
			 Q35 East of England Strategic Health Authority 5P4 West Hertfordshire PCT 17,035 
			 Q35 East of England Strategic Health Authority   202,796 
			  
			 Q36 London Strategic Health Authority 5C2 Barking and Dagenham PCT 6,816 
			 Q36 London Strategic Health Authority 5A9 Barnet Primary Care Trust 13,351 
			 Q36 London Strategic Health Authority TAK Bexley Care Trust 8,503 
			 Q36 London Strategic Health Authority 5K5 Brent PCT 16,068 
			 Q36 London Strategic Health Authority 5A7 Bromley PCT 10,520 
			 Q36 London Strategic Health Authority 5K7 Camden Primary Care Trust 5,840 
			 Q36 London Strategic Health Authority 5C3 City And Hackney Primary Care Team 9,257 
			 Q36 London Strategic Health Authority 5K9 Croydon Primary Care Trust 14,238 
			 Q36 London Strategic Health Authority 5HX Ealing PCT 15,703 
			 Q36 London Strategic Health Authority 5C1 Enfield PCT 10,176 
			 Q36 London Strategic Health Authority 5A8 Greenwich PCT 8,296 
			 Q36 London Strategic Health Authority 5H1 Hammersmith and Fulham PCT 5,268 
			 Q36 London Strategic Health Authority 5C9 Haringey PCT 9,484 
			 Q36 London Strategic Health Authority 5K6 Harrow PCT 11,242 
			 Q36 London Strategic Health Authority 5A4 Havering PCT 9,281 
			 Q36 London Strategic Health Authority 5AT Hillingdon PCT 10,246 
			 Q36 London Strategic Health Authority 5HY Hounslow PCT 9,780 
			 Q36 London Strategic Health Authority 5K8 Islington Primary Care Trust 6,513 
			 Q36 London Strategic Health Authority 5LA Kensington and Chelsea PCT 4,207 
			 Q36 London Strategic Health Authority 5A5 Kingston 5,629 
			 Q36 London Strategic Health Authority 5LD Lambeth PCT 10,456 
			 Q36 London Strategic Health Authority 5LF Lewisham PCT 10,662 
			 Q36 London Strategic Health Authority 5C5 Newham Primary Care Team 14,809 
			 Q36 London Strategic Health Authority 5NA Redbridge PCT 11,414 
			 Q36 London Strategic Health Authority 5M6 Richmond and Twickenham 4,556 
			 Q36 London Strategic Health Authority 5LE Southwark PCT 9,135 
			 Q36 London Strategic Health Authority 5M7 Sutton and Merton PCT 13,529 
			 Q36 London Strategic Health Authority 5C4 Tower Hamlets Primary Care Team 9,941 
			 Q36 London Strategic Health Authority 5NC Waltham Forest PCT 9,931 
			 Q36 London Strategic Health Authority 5LG Wandsworth PCT 9,294 
			 Q36 London Strategic Health Authority 5LC Westminster PCT 6,422 
			 Q36 London Strategic Health Authority   300,567 
			  
			 Q37 South East Coast Strategic Health Authority 5LQ Brighton And Hove City Teaching PCT 7,839 
			 Q37 South East Coast Strategic Health Authority 5P7 East Sussex Downs and Weald PCT 12,186 
			 Q37 South East Coast Strategic Health Authority 5QA Eastern and Coastal Kent PCT 28,913 
			 Q37 South East Coast Strategic Health Authority 5P8 Hastings and Rother PCT 6,882 
			 Q37 South East Coast Strategic Health Authority 5L3 Medway PCT 10,377 
			 Q37 South East Coast Strategic Health Authority 5P5 Surrey PCT 34,823 
			 Q37 South East Coast Strategic Health Authority 5P9 West Kent PCT 23,082 
			 037 South East Coast Strategic Health Authority 5P6 West Sussex PCT 28,683 
			 Q37 South East Coast Strategic Health Authority   152,785 
			  
			  England   1,960,000 
			  Source:  Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF data). Information Centre for health and social care, 2006-07.

Diabetes: Children

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of children who were diagnosed with diabetes in  (a) Southend,  (b) each borough in Essex,  (c) each borough in Kent,  (d) the Metropolitan Police area of London and  (e) England in each of the last five years for which figures are available, broken down by age group.

Ann Keen: This information is not available in the format requested. Current estimates suggest that there are approximately 20,000 children with Type 1 diabetes under the age of 15 in the United Kingdom. Estimates of the number of children with Type 2 diabetes vary, but in the UK it has been suggested that there may be as many as 1,400 children and young people with Type 2 diabetes.

Diabetes: Eastern Region

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were diagnosed with diabetes in  (a) East of England and  (b) Suffolk in each of the last five years.

Ann Keen: The information is not available in the format requested. The following table shows data on the number of patients on diabetes registers in general practices, available from the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) data available on the Information Centre website but only for the financial years 2004-05, 2005-06 and 2006-07.
	
		
			   2006-07  2005-06  2004-05 
			   Patients  Identified prevalence (Percentage)  Patients  Identified prevalence (Percentage)  Patients  Identified prevalence (Percentage) 
			 East of England SNA 202,796 3.5 
			 Suffolk PCT 20,590 3.4 
			
			 East of England SNA   194,917 3.4 181,928 3.2 
			 Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire   80,190 3.5 75,633 3.3 
			 Essex   58,110 3.4 53,107 3.1 
			 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire   56,617 3.2 53,188 3.1 
			 Suffolk PCT Total   19,755 3.3 18,491 3.2 
			 Central Suffolk   3,398 3.3 3,220 3.1 
			 Ipswich   5,023 3.3 4,714 3.1 
			 Suffolk Coastal   3,473 3.4 3,103 3.2 
			 Suffolk West   7,861 3.4 7,454 3.2 
			  Notes: Due to changes in strategic health authority (SHA) and primary care trust (PCT) configurations, and the fact that East of England SHA and Suffolk PCT only came into existence in 2006, the figures quoted for 2005-06 and 2004-05 were originally for the old SHAs (Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire, Essex and Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire) and PCTs (Central Suffolk, Ipswich, Suffolk Coastal and Suffolk West) that were in existence at the time have been summed to give figures for the new bodies.  Diabetes Prevalence The disease register in QOF for diabetes does not include any patient below the age of 17. However, the denominator is all registered patients. This means that the reported prevalence is lower than the actual value.  Coverage of QOF Patients will only contribute to the figures in QOF if they are registered with a general practice participating in QOF. Not all practices participate in QOF and some participate in only some parts (especially PMS practices who are paid under different arrangements for providing services which are part of QOF for CMS practices). Most indicators in QOF have rules which allow for patients to be excluded (e.g. patient refuses treatment) and so the denominator for a given indicator may be less than the number of patients on the register for that disease. Note also that some indicators have age limits and so exclude some patients on the register.  Source: Information Centre for health and social care.

Diabetes: Research

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research has been  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated by his Department on the causes of type 1 diabetes; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The Medical Research Council (MRC) is one of the main agencies through which the Government support medical and clinical research. The MRC supports a portfolio of research relating to diabetes. Expenditure on the portfolio in 2005-06 was 13.9 million.
	The Department funds national health service research and development through the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). The Institute's Diabetes Research Network, one of six topic specific networks, brings together NHS staff and resources to support randomised controlled trials and other well-designed studies for commercial and non-commercial sponsors. These include a study of the epigenetics of type 1 diabetes using identical twins. The NIHR is investing 20 million over five years in the network.
	The Department also funds the Yorkshire register of diabetes in children and young people. Data derived from the register are used in epidemiological studies and in aetiological research, and contributes to the European study of childhood type 1 diabetes.

Dietary Supplements

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what date Ministers from his Department next plan to meet representatives of the Health Food Manufacturers Association to discuss progress in implementation of the Food Supplements Directive.

Dawn Primarolo: There is currently no date planned for Ministers to meet with representatives of the Health Food Manufactures Association to discuss progress in implementation of the Food Supplements Directive.

Elderly: Malnutrition

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 14 June 2007,  Official Report, column 1306-7W, on the elderly: malnutrition, when he plans to publish his Department's nutrition action plan.

Ivan Lewis: The nutrition action plan will be published tomorrow and there will be an ongoing monitoring of how stakeholders and their work have contributed to the aims of the plan by a nutrition action plan delivery board.

Elderly: Malnutrition

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many deaths were caused by malnutrition among those aged over 65 years in the last 10 years, broken down by age and region; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 29 October 2007:
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many deaths were caused by malnutrition among those aged over 65 years in the last 10 years, broken down by age and region. I am replying in her absence. (160867)
	The attached table provides the numbers of deaths where malnutrition or effects of hunger were mentioned on the death certificate, by age group for persons aged 65 years and over, for each government office region in England, and for Wales, for the years 1997 to 2006 (the latest year available).
	
		
			  Table 1. Deaths from malnutrition and effects of hunger( 1) , persons aged 65 and over by age group, by Government office region in England( 2) , and Wales, 1997-2006( 3) 
			  Deaths (persons) 
			   Age (years) 
			   65-69  70-74  75-79  80-84  85+ 
			  North East  
			 1997 3 3 4 2 3 
			 1998 2 1  2 7 
			 1999 1 2 3 3 5 
			 2000 4 5 2 4 5 
			 2001 3 2 5 2 8 
			 2002 2 2 6 3 6 
			 2003 1 1  2 9 
			 2004 2  3 4 1 
			 2005 1 1 3 2 4 
			 2006 1 1 5 5 7 
			   
			  North West  
			 1997 2 6 4 8 9 
			 1998 5 1 3 7 11 
			 1999 6 4 5 4 7 
			 2000 2 6 4 2 8 
			 2001 2  4 6 8 
			 2002 2 4 3 7 9 
			 2003 1 6 7 3 8 
			 2004 3 4 10 7 9 
			 2005 2 7 5 7 6 
			 2006 4  5 4 8 
			   
			  Yorkshire and the Humber  
			 1997  6 3 8 12 
			 1998 3 2 4 5 9 
			 1999 4 3 1 6 6 
			 2000 1 1 4 3 6 
			 2001 2 3 3 3 4 
			 2002 3 3 3 1 5 
			 2003 1 4 3 6 10 
			 2004 2 3 4  4 
			 2005 1 2 1 3 4 
			 2006 4 2 2 3 6 
			   
			  East Midlands  
			 1997 2 3 3 2 2 
			 1998 2 3 4 11 9 
			 1999 2 3 2 6 10 
			 2000 2 4 5 3 10 
			 2001 1 3 3 3 4 
			 2002 1 5 1 5 3 
			 2003 1 2 3 1 7 
			 2004 3 4 1 5 5 
			 2005 1 6 3 7 6 
			 2006 2 1 7 6 7 
			   
			  West Midlands  
			 1997 6 3 12 12 21 
			 1998 3 9 5 7 10 
			 1999 2 8 5 10 20 
			 2000 4 7 9 8 8 
			 2001 3 2 6 4 9 
			 2002 5 2 6 11 12 
			 2003 1 4 6 7 7 
			 2004 2 3 12 10 10 
			 2005 3 2 2 6 4 
			 2006 3 7 12 2 6 
			   
			  East of England  
			 1997 0 5 5 4 7 
			 1998 3 0 4 5 8 
			 1999 3 4 5 6 11 
			 2000 2 1 3 5 10 
			 2001 0 4 8 6 6 
			 2002 4 4 4 6 10 
			 2003 1 1 2 4 3 
			 2004 2 2 2 3 6 
			 2005 1 3 2 10 17 
			 2006 3 5 3 4 7 
			   
			  London  
			 1997 5 1 2 6 12 
			 1998 2 5 7 6 8 
			 1999 3 4 7 9 11 
			 2000 2 1 5 4 10 
			 2001 0 0 8 3 6 
			 2002 1 2 4 7 4 
			 2003 3 2 4 2 6 
			 2004 2 2 1 0 5 
			 2005 0 3 1 2 5 
			 2006 6 2 2 1 8 
			   
			  South East  
			 1997 3 3 6 5 14 
			 1998 3 6 4 5 10 
			 1999 1 9 6 7 13 
			 2000 4 2 12 3 11 
			 2001 1 2 3 7 8 
			 2002 4 2 3 6 14 
			 2003 2 2 7 4 8 
			 2004 2 3 3 9 11 
			 2005 3 5 5 9 10 
			 2006 3 9 7 10 18 
			   
			  South West  
			 1997 2 6 5 6 23 
			 1998 3 3 10 7 21 
			 1999 5 2 7 6 5 
			 2000 4 5 6 5 15 
			 2001 5 0 6 1 10 
			 2002 1 3 5 3 8 
			 2003 1 2 5 4 5 
			 2004 2 2 4 9 14 
			 2005 3 3 5 6 5 
			 2006 2 5 6 4 12 
			   
			  Wales  
			 1997 1 0 6 4 1 
			 1998 1 2 5 5 9 
			 1999 1 4 2 9 5 
			 2000 2 0 4 4 7 
			 2001 0 3 3 7 9 
			 2002 0 4 3 4 9 
			 2003 3 0 7 3 8 
			 2004 1 1 5 3 5 
			 2005 1 4 3 3 8 
			 2006 4 3 3 8 9 
			 (1) Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) codes 260-269 (malnutrition) and E904.1 (effects of hunger) for the years 1997 to 2000, and the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes E40-E46 (malnutrition) and T73.0 (effects of hunger) for 2001 onwards. Deaths were included where one of these causes was mentioned anywhere on the death certificate. The introduction of ICD-10 in 2001 means that the numbers of deaths from each cause before 2001 are not completely comparable with later years.  (2) Based on boundaries as of 2007.  (3) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year.

Elderly: Malnutrition

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many elderly people were diagnosed as suffering from malnutrition, broken down by  (a) region,  (b) age and  (c) length of stay in a healthcare facility; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: Information by region, age and length of stay in a healthcare facility is not held centrally.
	The following table shows the available information for people aged 65 or more by length of hospital stay in each strategic health authority area in 2005-06. The figures include instances where there was either a primary or a secondary diagnosis of malnutrition. They would therefore include patients who were admitted to hospital for a reason other than malnutrition but were subsequently diagnosed as malnourished.
	
		
			  Number and median length of hospital stays in which the patient age 65 and over had a primary or secondary diagnosis of malnutrition in the final (discharge) episode (ICD-10 codes between E40 to E46)NHS hospitals in England, discharges in 2005-06 
			  Strategic health authority (SHA) of residence  Discharge episodes  Median length of stay (days) 
			 Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire SHA 51 16 
			 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire SHA 29 18 
			 Essex SHA 31 20 
			 North West London SHA 53 23 
			 North Central London SHA 28 28 
			 North East London SHA 27 12 
			 South East London SHA 36 27 
			 South West London SHA 21 23 
			 Northumberland, Tyne and Wear SHA 34 16 
			 County Durham and Tees Valley SHA 12 7 
			 North and East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire SHA 19 18 
			 West Yorkshire SHA 37 18 
			 Cumbria and Lancashire SHA 20 20 
			 Greater Manchester SHA 60 18 
			 Cheshire and Merseyside SHA 32 26 
			 Thames Valley SHA 36 18 
			 Hampshire and Isle of Wight SHA 63 35 
			 Kent and Medway SHA 29 15 
			 Surrey and Sussex SHA 55 22 
			 Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire SHA 50 19 
			 South West Peninsula SHA 65 14 
			 Dorset and Somerset SHA 42 22 
			 South Yorkshire SHA 20 12 
			 Trent SHA 46 24 
			 Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland SHA 34 13 
			 Shropshire and Staffordshire SHA 24 10 
			 Birmingham and the Black Country SHA 93 14 
			 West Midlands South SHA 15 32 
			 Wales 2 79 
			 Englandnot otherwise specified 3 61 
			 Unknown 6 21 
			 England 1,073 19 
			  Notes: 1. Discharges A discharge episode is the last episode during a spell, where the patient is discharged from the hospital (this includes transfer to another hospital). 2. Length of stay (duration of spell) Length of stay (LOS) is calculated as the difference in days between the admission date and the discharge date, where both are given. LOS is based on the whole of the hospital spell and therefore may not be linked to malnutrition entirely. LOS only applies to ordinary admissions, i.e. day cases are excluded (unless otherwise stated). Information relating to LOS figures, including discharge method/destination, diagnoses and any operative procedures, is based only on the final episode of the spell. 3. All diagnoses count of episodes These figures represent a count of all finished consultant episodes where the diagnosis was mentioned in any of the 14 (seven prior to 2002-03) diagnosis fields in a HES record.  4. Diagnosis (primary diagnosis) The primary diagnosis is the first of up to 14 (seven prior to 2002-03) diagnosis fields in the (HES) data set and provides the main reason why the patient was in hospital. 5. Secondary diagnoses As well as the primary diagnosis, there are up to 13 (six prior to 2002-03) secondary diagnosis fields in HES that show other diagnoses relevant to the episode of care. 6. Malnutrition Malnutrition is defined by a primary diagnosis between the ICD-10 codes E40-E46. E40 Kwashiorkor E41 Nutritional marasmus E42 Marasmic kwashiorkor E43 Unspecified severe protein-energy malnutrition E44 Protein-energy malnutrition of moderate and mild degree E45 Retarded development following protein-energy malnutrition E46 Unspecified protein-energy malnutrition  Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) in the Information Centre for health and social care.

Epsom and St. Helier Primary Care Trust: Personnel

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of staffing costs was spent on agency staff in Epsom and St. Helier Primary Care Trust in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The information requested by the hon. Member for national health service staff salaries and non-NHS staff salaries and percentages at Epsom and St. Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust are provided in the following tables.
	Epsom and St. Helier University Hospitals NHS trust was formed in 1999. Figures for the two predecessor trusts that formed it, Epsom Health Care NHS Trust and St. Helier NHS Trust are provided for 1997-98 and 1998-99.
	
		
			1997-98  1998-99 
			  Organisation code  Organisation name  NHS salaries and wages ()  Non-NHS salaries and wagesAgency ()  Agency spend (percentage)  NHS salaries and wages ()  Non-NHS salaries and wagesAgency ()  Agency spend (percentage) 
			 RA1 Epsom Health Care NHS Trust 32,498,700 1,449,454 4.27 34,234,209 2,548,974 6.93 
			 RAZ St. Helier NHS Trust 61,454,789 1,915,077 3.02 65,032,965 2,000,378 2.98 
			 
			 RVR Epsom and St. Helier NHS Trust   
			 
			 5M7 Sutton and Merton PCT   
		
	
	
		
			1999-2000  2000-01 
			  Organisation code  Organisation name  NHS salaries and wages ()  Non-NHS salaries and wagesAgency ()  Agency spend (percentage)  NHS salaries and wages ()  Non-NHS salaries and wagesAgency ()  Agency spend (percentage) 
			 RA1 Epsom Health Care NHS Trust   
			 RAZ St. Helier NHS Trust   
			 
			 RVR Epsom and St. Helier NHS Trust 96,356,278 5,366,279 5.28 * 8,753,789 7.98 
			 
			 5M7 Sutton and Merton PCT   
		
	
	
		
			2001-02  2002-03 
			  Organisation code  Organisation name  NHS salaries and wages ()  Non-NHS salaries and wagesAgency ()  Agency spend (percentage)  NHS salaries and wages ()  Non-NHS salaries and wagesAgency ()  Agency spend (percentage) 
			 RA1 Epsom Health Care NHS Trust   
			 RAZ St. Helier NHS Trust   
			 
			 RVR Epsom and St. Helier NHS Trust 112,660,180 12,725,023 10.15 116,297,994 6,623,636 5.39 
			 
			 5M7 Sutton and Merton PCT33,336,796 1,827,001 5.20 
		
	
	
		
			2003-04  2004-05 
			  Organisation code  Organisation name  NHS salaries and wages ()  Non-NHS salaries and wagesAgency ()  Agency spend (percentage)  NHS salaries and wages ()  Non-NHS salaries and wagesAgency ()  Agency spend (percentage) 
			 RA1 Epsom Health Care NHS Trust   
			 RAZ St. Helier NHS Trust   
			 
			 RVR Epsom and St. Helier NHS Trust 132,152,995 4,048,599 2.97 155,606,000 3,085,000 1.94 
			 5M7 Sutton and Merton PCT 36,789,126 2,517,461 6.40 42,926,000 3,578,000 7.69 
		
	
	
		
			2005-06 
			  Organisation code  Organisation name  NHS salaries and wages ()  Non-NHS salaries and wagesAgency ()  Agency spend (percentage) 
			 RA1 Epsom Health Care NHS Trust
			 RAZ St. Helier NHS Trust
			  
			 RVR Epsom and St. Helier NHS Trust 170,027,000 3,263,000 1.88 
			  
			 5M7 Sutton and Merton PCT 47,461,000 2,456,000 4.92 
			  Notes:  1. Data are not available prior to 1997-98.  2. 2006-07 financial returns are not yet available.  3. In 1999, trusts RA1 and RAZ merged to form RVR.  4. Data for Sutton and Merton PCT are not available prior to 2002-03.  5. Sutton and Merton PCT was created in 2002-03. Due to boundary changes it is not possible to identify the predecessor data for this trust.   Source:  Trust and PCT financial returns 1997-98 to 2005-06.

General Social Care Council: Information Officers

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many press officers are employed by the General Social Care Council.

Ivan Lewis: I understand, after making inquiries of the General Social Care Council, that they do not employ press officers. However, they do currently employ three communications executives, who deal with the press office on a rota basis.
	Their responsibilities include:
	responding to telephone and e-mail inquires;
	dealing with ad hoc requests;
	press inquiries;
	research for debates; and
	liaising with the press.

Genetically Modified Organisms: EU Law

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which genetically modified products have been approved by the EU for sale in the UK.

Dawn Primarolo: EC Regulation 1829/2003 on genetically modified (GM) food and feed controls the marketing of GM products across the EU. Authorisations under this Regulation currently cover food and animal feed obtained from 12 types of GM maize, five types of GM cotton, three types of GM oilseed rape, one type of GM sugarbeet and one type of GM soya. Animal feed ingredients from two types of GM yeast are also authorised.

Genito-Urinary Medicine: Standards

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he plans to introduce indicators of sexual health in the clinical domain of the quality and outcomes framework of the general medical services contract.

Ben Bradshaw: NHS employers are responsible for negotiating changes to the General Medical Services contract with the British Medical Association's General Practitioners Committee, and they will be considering potential changes to the contract for 2008-09. It would be inappropriate for the Department to pre-empt the outcome of those confidential contract discussions.

Health Professions: Insurance

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance his Department has issued to health trusts on arrangements to be made between trusts on individual healthcare practitioners' insurance liability when working on collaborative projects.

Ann Keen: The Department has not issued specific guidance to national health service trusts on arrangements to be made between trusts on individual healthcare practitioners' insurance liability when working on collaborative projects.
	NHS bodies are vicariously liable for the negligent acts (and omissions) of their employees made during the course of their employment. An individual practitioner operating under a contract of employment with an NHS trust is covered by the indemnity of that trust. The NHS Litigation Authority provides indemnity to trusts through the schemes that it administers on behalf of the Secretary of State. These schemes pool the costs of any loss of or damage to property and liabilities to third parties for loss, damage or injury arising out of the carrying out of an NHS body's functions.

Health Professions: Personation

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many legal actions took place against people improperly using protected titles of health professions in the last 12 months.

Ann Keen: The NHS Counter Fraud and Security Management Service investigate cases of improper use of titles of health professions. Where appropriate, legal action may follow these investigations but no such actions have been concluded in the last 12 months.

Health Services

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the likely effect of the establishment of polyclinics on access to care in areas of greatest need.

Ben Bradshaw: Polyclinics were advocated in the Healthcare for London report. This was an independent piece of work carried out by Lord Darzi before he became a Government Minister. These proposals are now being consulted on within London prior to implementation. It would be good practice for any polyclinic developments to be accompanied by a detailed local assessment of how they will improve access and meet the population's needs.

Health Services: Fraud

Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if he will ensure that no healthcare organisations indicted for fraud against the federal or state governments in the US are given contracts to provide services for the NHS or NHS patients;
	(2)  if he will ensure that no healthcare organisations found by US federal audits to have practised deceptive sales tactics on Medicare or Medicaid recipients will be given contracts to provide services for the NHS or NHS patients.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 22 October 2007
	 In purchasing goods and services for the national health service, the Department is subject to all European Union (EU) public procurement regulations. The rules compel the Department to advertise, negotiate and award any proposed contract in accordance with the legal procedure set out in the regulations. This ensures that the process is fair, transparent and non-discriminatory. The regulations require that as part of due diligence all participating organisations must complete a pre-qualification questionnaire (PQQ) to ensure that they are suitable to play a role in the NHS.
	In the case of our central procurements, the Department of Health's Commercial Directorate has always contracted with United Kingdom corporate bodies. These UK entities undergo financial due diligence to assess their financial standing and their ability and technical capacity to provide the services. We also ask the bidders as part of the PQQ to confirm whether there are any factors which would exclude them under the EU criteria (grave misconduct, criminal offences etc.).
	Under EU procurement guidelines, bodies are permitted to exclude a company that has been convicted of a criminal offence or grave professional misconduct in relation to the conduct of their business.

Health Services: Pharmacy

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the likely effect of the establishment of polyclinics on the existing pharmacy network.

Ben Bradshaw: Primary care trusts (PCTs) are responsible for providing, or securing the provision of primary medical services within their area, to the extent they consider necessary to meet all reasonable requirements. In exercising these duties, PCTs will need to consider both the location and capacity of local primary medical services. They are also responsible for ensuring the adequate provision of national health service pharmaceutical services. The Government are committed to publishing a White Paper on pharmacy services, which may consider these issues further. The Government have also indicated that, as part of the NHS Next Stage Review, the Department will work with public and professional stakeholders to develop a wider strategy for primary care and community services.

Health Services: Private Sector

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many contracts there are for primary care trusts (PCTs) to purchase elective procedures from independent sector treatment providers in Cornwall; for how long each contract lasts; and how much each contract will cost the local PCT for  (a) each year and  (b) over the full length of the contract.

Ben Bradshaw: There is one contract for a treatment centre to provide services for patients referred by Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Primary Care Trust under the nationally procured Independent Sector Treatment Centre programme. The centre is the Bodmin National Health Service Treatment Centre. The contract will last for just over four years.
	Financial information relating to contracts is currently commercially confidential. The Department is currently reviewing its policy on the information it releases in relation to phase one contracts.

Health Services: Rehabilitation

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much of the additional funding for therapies announced in the Comprehensive Spending Review is planned to be allocated to the rehabilitation treatments provided by the NHS for patients with alcohol and drug dependencies.

Dawn Primarolo: The Comprehensive Spending Review, announced by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer (Mr. Darling) on 9 October 2007, included an additional 170 million to be spent on psychological therapies by 2010-11. This is in addition to more than 140 million already spent on psychological therapies around the country, including on patients with depression and anxiety disorders who also suffer from drug and alcohol dependencies. Final decisions have yet to be taken on the allocation of this money.

Health: Disadvantaged

John MacDougall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to tackle health inequalities in the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: Health services in Scotland and Wales are a devolved matter. The following information refers only to England.
	Health inequalities are unacceptable; that is why the Government have introduced the most comprehensive programme ever seen in this country to address health them.
	A cross-government national health inequalities strategy, Tackling Health Inequalities: A Programme for Action, is in place to deliver the 2010 health inequalities target to narrow the gap in infant mortality, by social class, and life expectancy at birth, by geographical area. This is complemented by innovative programmes such as National Health Service Health Trainers, NHS Life Check, and Communities for Health that will examine new approaches, and are being implemented first in Spearhead areasthe local authority areas with the worst health and deprivation indicators, and the primary care trusts (PCTs) mapping to them.
	The Secretary of State announced last month that the Department will publish a comprehensive strategy in 2008 for reducing health inequalities, which will address unjustified gaps in health status, fair access to NHS services for everyone and good outcomes of care for all.
	The NHS in England Operating Framework 2007-08 identified tackling health inequalities as a key priority for the NHS. Incentives for the NHS and local authorities have also been aligned to encourage partnership working to deliver the 2010 target, with health inequalities a mandatory target for Spearhead PCT local delivery plans for 2007-08, and for local authority local area agreements from 2007.
	The Department and the Association of Public Health Observatories have developed an interactive Health Inequalities Intervention Tool. Launched in August 2007, and available from the London Health Observatory website, the Tool translates national modelling on what is driving the life expectancy gap into local area analysis.
	The Review of the Health Inequalities Infant Mortality PSA Target, 2007, published earlier this year, will help improve further delivery of local services to vulnerable populations by working in partnership with local government and others. An implementation plan is on schedule for publication in autumn 2007.
	We have established national support teams on health inequalities and on tobacco control and smoking cessation that will disseminate best practice across Spearhead areas, and areas with high infant mortality rates, providing tailored, intensive, assistance to areas that face the biggest challenges in delivering the 2010 target.

Healthcare Commission: Manpower

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people are employed by the Healthcare Commission to deal with NHS complaints; and what the cost was of administering this function in the last 12 months.

Ben Bradshaw: We understand from the Chairman of the Healthcare Commission that there are currently approximately 160 staff working on the independent review of NHS complaints. In 2006-07, the cost of the Commission's complaints work was 11.4 million.

Hearing Aids: Waiting Lists

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the waiting times are for digital hearing aid  (a) assessment and  (b) fitting in each London primary care trust; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: The information requested can be found in the following table. The figure in the table is for both the assessment and the fitting. Figures are not held separately for fittings.
	
		
			  Audiological assessments: Number of patients waiting by London primary care trust (PCT): August 2007-08 
			  Provider organisation name  Provider o rganisation c ode  Over 13 weeks  Over 26 weeks  Over 52 weeks  Total  Median wait (weeks) 
			 Barking and Dagenham PCT 5C2 380 302 146 564 29.5 
			 Barnet PCT 5A9 7 0 0 55 2.4 
			 Bexley Care trust TAK 35 23 4 183 7.7 
			 Brent Teaching PCT 5K5 105 19 1 304 8.9 
			 Bromley PCT 5A7 13 6 2 154 9.4 
			 Camden PCT 5K7 1 0 0 28 4.8 
			 City and Hackney Teaching PCT 5C3 0 0 0 17 2.9 
			 Croydon PCT 5K9 723 514 129 1016 26.6 
			 Ealing PCT 5HX 442 346 119 557 32.4 
			 Enfield PCT 5C1 1 0 0 4 2.8 
			 Greenwich Teaching PCT 5A8 158 100 16 293 16.8 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham PCT 5H1 1 0 0 235 8.2 
			 Haringey Teaching PCT 5C9 2 0 0 37 5.2 
			 Harrow PCT 5K6 151 19 0 302 13.1 
			 Havering PCT 5A4 1,362 1,087 501 1707 37.9 
			 Hillingdon PCT 5AT 13 4 1 88 3.1 
			 Hounslow PCT 5HY 3 2 0 16 3.6 
			 Islington PCT 5K8 0 0 0 5 2.0 
			 Kensington and Chelsea PCT 5LA 0 0 0 80 3.1 
			 Kingston PCT 5A5 271 194 69 458 21.1 
			 Lambeth PCT 5LD 213 125 35 395 14.4 
			 Lewisham PCT 5LF 38 20 2 270 6.6 
			 Newham PCT 5C5 0 0 0 161 2.9 
			 Redbridge PCT 5NA 79 21 4 249 9.6 
			 Richmond and Twickenham PCT 5M6 38 19 5 85 11.8 
			 Southwark PCT 5LE 169 106 27 315 15.0 
			 Sutton and Merton PCT 5M7 14 9 4 157 3.8 
			 Tower Hamlets PCT 5C4 2 0 0 18 3.8 
			 Waltham Forest PCT 5NC 125 46 3 367 9.7 
			 Wandsworth PCT 5LG 57 38 4 230 5.5 
			 Westminster PCT 5LC 4 2 1 168 3.2

Hepatitis

Bob Laxton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many children and young people under the age of 16 years were diagnosed with hepatitis C in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many people over the age of 59 years were diagnosed with hepatitis C in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The information requested is shown in the following table. Data are only available by the under 15 age group.
	Hepatitis C laboratory reports, England and Wales, by age group, 2002 to 2006.
	
		
			   Under 15( 1)  Over 59 
			 2002 41 305 
			 2003 24 365 
			 2004 46 439 
			 2005 30 410 
			 2006 26 485 
			 (1) This excludes children under one year of age who are positive only by antibody testing, since this may be due to passively acquired maternal antibodies, present in the child during this period. The data may include a small number of children over the age of one year who have residual maternal antibody.   Note:  Data is based on laboratory reports to the HPA.   Source:  Health Protection Agency (HPA).

Hospital Beds

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients in each hospital trust had their discharge from hospital delayed in each week  (a) in the last 12 months and  (b) in the preceding 12 months.

Ivan Lewis: holding answer 25 October 2007
	 The information has been placed in the Library.

Hospital Beds

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many bed nights in each hospital trust were spent by patients who were ready for discharge but remained in hospital in  (a) the last 12 months and  (b) the preceding 12 months; and what the estimated total cost to the NHS was of these delayed discharges.

Ivan Lewis: holding answer 25 October 2007
	The information has been placed in the Library.

Hospitals: Deep Cleaning

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what average length of time he expects the deep clean of a hospital to take;
	(2)  what his latest estimate is of the cost per hospital of his Department's hospital deep cleaning programme; and who will meet the cost of each hospital's programme;
	(3)  on what date his Department's deep cleaning programme for hospitals is expected  (a) to start and  (b) to finish.

Ann Keen: No specific date has been set for either the commencement or completion of the deep-clean programme. The delivery of this programme is entirely a matter for local determination and will be affected by a range of local factors and considerations including, but not limited to, the size, age and configuration of the hospital and the extent of the deep-cleaning necessary. It is not therefore possible to provide any estimated average of either the cost or the length of time it will take. The funding for this programme will be allocated by individual strategic health authorities.

Hospitals: Infectious Diseases

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the definition of a healthcare associated infection was in  (a) 1980 and  (b) 1993-94; and what definition is now in use.

Ann Keen: In the studies conducted in 1980 and 1993-94, hospital acquired infection was defined as an infection found to be active, or under active treatment at the time of the survey, which was not present on admission to hospital(1, 2).
	The definition for health care associated infection (HCAI) used in the 2006 survey was the one devised by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, United States America, that is, any infection reported must meet the definition of a HCAI, that is, a local or systemic condition resulting from adverse reaction to the presence of an infectious agent(s) or its toxins. There must be no evidence that it was present or incubating at the time of hospital admission unless the infection was related to a previous admission to the same hospital (i.e. the hospital under surveillance.)(3)
	 Sources:
	(1) Meers PD, Ayliffe GA, Emmerson AM et al. Report on the national prevalence survey of infection in hospitals 1980. J Hosp Infect 1981; s1-51.
	(2) Report of a steering group. National prevalence survey of hospital-acquired infections: definitions. J Hosp Infect 1993; 24:69-76.
	(3) http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dhqp/nhsn.htm

Hospitals: Infectious Diseases

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library the data collected from each of the 190 acute hospitals which were surveyed as part of the Third Prevalence Survey of Healthcare Associated Infections in Acute Hospitals in England 2006, published by his Department on 12 September 2007.

Ann Keen: Participation in the Third Prevalence Survey of Healthcare Associated Infections in acute hospitals in England 2006 was voluntary and as the national data was anonymised, we do not have individual trusts data. Trusts who participated in the survey can access their own data via a secure web-based system developed by the Welsh Healthcare Associated Infection Programme.

Hospitals: Nutrition

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department has taken to ensure that NHS hospital food meets acceptable nutritional standards, with particular reference to elderly patients; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: An appropriate diet, based on acceptable standards, requires good food with the right nutritional content, properly prepared and available when patients need it. The National Health Service Plan stipulated that dieticians should advise and check on nutritional values in hospital food. Nutritional information is available for all recipes in the National Dish Selector, and this can be used to assess local nutritional levels. Ingredients specifications for the recipes have been developed by the Purchasing and Supply Agency to ensure that wholesome, high quality and value-for-money ingredients are used.
	The Food Standards Agency (FSA) Strategic Plan for 2005-10 includes a commitment to support other Government Departments to set targets to improve the nutritional quality of meals served in major institutions. Work is under way to develop nutrient and food based guidance for institutions that will support cross-Government action on diet and food procurement. The first set of guidance, including an example menu, for those providing food to older people in residential care who do not have specific diet-related medical needs, was published by the FSA in October 2006. Guidance for institutions providing food to adults who do not have specific diet-related medical needs, will be published before the end of October 2007.
	The quality of hospital food is measured annually via Patient Environment Action Team (PEAT) assessments. These showed an increase from 17 per cent. 'good' in 2002 to 32 per cent. 'excellent' in 2006 (there was no 'excellent' category in 2002, when a three-point scale was used).
	Older people in hospital may prefer to eat little and often, and this was provided for in the NHS Plan. For the last year in which statistics were collected, (2004) 89 per cent. of hospitals had introduced ward kitchen services to provide light snacks, 80 per cent. were providing snack boxes for patients who missed a meal and 84 per cent. provided extra snacks during the day.
	It is known that older people in hospital are vulnerable to malnutrition. To identify and deal with patients at risk, we have introduced protected mealtimes and have renewed the emphasis on nutritional screening. These two areas of work are being actively pursued by the National Patient Safety Agency.
	A national action plan to tackle the issue of older people and nutrition more generally was announced on 14 March 2007 by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Health (Mr. Lewis). The action plan followed a nutrition summit on the same day, attended by leading charities, clinicians, nutrition experts and care home representatives. It will be published in November 2007 and will outline a range of measures that NHS and social care managers can take to address nutrition, hydration and nutritional care issues in all settings. FSA guidance to improve meals served in major institutions contributes to this national action plan.

Hospitals: Official Visits

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which NHS hospitals  (a) he and  (b) each other Minister in his Department has visited since 27 June.

Dawn Primarolo: The Secretary of State for Health and other departmental Ministers all make regular visits to national health service and social care facilities, including hospitals, general practitioner practices and primary and community services.
	Since 27 June 2007, Ministers have visited the following NHS hospitals:
	 Secretary of State (Alan Johnson)
	Kingston Hospital, Surrey
	King's College, London
	The Princess Alexandra Hospital, Hamstell Road, Harlow, Essex
	Musgrove Park Hospital, Taunton, Somerset
	Great Ormond Street Hospital, London
	Royal Marsden, London
	Essex Cardiothoracic Centre, Basildon, Essex
	Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham
	St. George's Hospital, London
	 Minister of State (Ben Bradshaw)
	Royal Exeter and Devon
	Tewkesbury
	Tiverton District Hospital, Tiverton, Devon
	 Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Ann Keen)
	St. Peter's HospChertsey
	Leeds General Infirmary
	St. James' Hospital, Leeds
	Hammersmith Hospital, London
	Charing Cross Hospital, London
	Royal Liverpool University Hospital
	 Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Ivan Lewis)
	Peasley Cross Hospital, St. Helens
	 Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Ara Darzi)
	Gateshead Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (FT), Gateshead
	University Hospital of South Manchester NHS FT, Manchester
	York Hospital NHS FT, York
	City Hospital, Birmingham
	Derby Royal Infirmary, Derby
	Princess Alexandra Hospital, Harlow, Essex
	St. Margaret's Community Hospital, Epping, Essex
	Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospitals NHS FT, Basingstoke
	Conquest Hospital, St. Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex
	West View Hospital Plummer Lane, Tenterden, Kent
	Tiverton District Hospital, Tiverton, Devon
	Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust, Exeter

Human Papilloma Virus: Vaccination

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish, in full, the recommendations of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation on the human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccination programme before its next meeting in February; what plans he has to introduce an HPV programme for girls aged 12 to 13; what plans he has to extend an HPV programme to young women older than 13; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: On 26 October, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State (Alan Johnson) announced the introduction of a human papilloma virus (HPV) immunisation programme to routinely vaccinate girls aged 12-13 years of age against cervical cancer, starting from September 2008.
	The Secretary of State also confirmed that there would be a two-year catch up campaign starting in autumn 2009, for girls up to 18 years.

Incontinence Aids

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the names, qualifications and responsibilities are of those on the Expert Group set up to reclassify continence and stoma prescription products.

Ben Bradshaw: Subject to their agreement, the Department will publish the names of the specialist nurses who advised the Department of the proposed classification of items.

Incontinence Aids: Prices

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reason two options were provided under Part IX of the Drug Tariff for the reclassification of continence products according to the proposed reimbursement price reduction model.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department has only proposed one classification of stoma and incontinence items listed in Part IX of the Drug Tariff.
	However, the Department is seeking views on two options as to how value for money for the national health service might be achieved via a reduction reimbursement prices.

Incontinence Aids: Prices

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the likely impact on services to patients if drug companies adopt option 1 in Part IX of the Drug Tariff of a 35 per cent. price reduction in continence products.

Ben Bradshaw: Our recent consultation refers to a reduction capped at 35 per cent. not a 35 per cent. reduction in prices for all products.
	The consultation also proposes remuneration for services; this is independent of reimbursement for items. Views are sought on the proposed remuneration for services.

Influenza

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the benefits and risks are which are being considered as part of the decision to change arrangements for the seasonal influenza programme, as referred to in his letter to the hon. Member for South Cambridgeshire, reference PO00000237366.

Dawn Primarolo: The Review provided options for fundamentally changing the current system for the purchase and supply of vaccine without incurring additional costs and maintaining the cooperation of providers and general practice.
	The current flu vaccination programme has proved successful, and consideration needs to be given to the potential adverse impact that any changes may have on vaccination uptake levels, or confidence of stakeholders in the programme, as well as the potential benefits of a more robust or cost-effective delivery of the programme.
	No decision can be taken to change these arrangements until a thorough assessment of the benefits and risks is completed and the results of the 2008-09 programme including the impact of improved information, planning and communication on uptake is known.

Influenza: Disease Control

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what arrangements he has put in place to ensure that the UK's stockpile of antivirals can be distributed to the population within the window of therapeutic opportunity.

Dawn Primarolo: The National Flu Line Service is being set up to enable rapid access to antiviral medicines treatment to those that require it. Arrangements are being made to support this, including the identification of 'local collection' points where antivirals can be collected on behalf of the symptomatic patient (on being authorised treatment via the Flu Line Service). Communications are also being prepared to encourage patients to contact the Flu Line Service within the window of therapeutic opportunity.

Influenza: Screening

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he plans to introduce screening for pandemic influenza infection at points of national border entry or exit in the event of an influenza pandemic; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: Based on available health evidence about their likely effectiveness, there are no plans to impose either entry or exit screening in the United Kingdom in the event of an influenza pandemic. But if such screening were recommended by the World Health Organization, or other countries impose requirements of this nature, we would need to consider our position on a case-by-case basis.

Influenza: Vaccination

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the proportion of the pandemic influenza antiviral stockpile which may be  (a) accidentally prescribed to those who are not infected with pandemic influenza,  (b) accidentally destroyed and  (c) wasted.

Dawn Primarolo: The clinical algorithm which is being developed for the National Flu Line is designed to ensure that antiviral medicines are only distributed to those who are showing the symptoms of influenza. End to end distribution arrangements are being put in place to ensure that supplies are protected from accidental destruction, loss or wastage.

Influenza: Vaccination

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the take up by pensioners in Ribble Valley constituency of influenza vaccinations in each year since 1997.

Dawn Primarolo: The information is not available in the format requested.
	Flu vaccine uptake data was collected for the first time in those aged 65 and over from 2000. The percentage of those aged 65 and over who received a flu vaccine in East Lancashire Primary Care Trust (PCT) and Hyndburn and Ribble Valley PCT, for which data is available, is shown in the following table:
	
		
			   PCT  Percentage of those aged 65 and over who received flu vaccine 
			 2000 East Lancashire health authority 63 
			 2001 East Lancashire PCT health authority 65 
			 2002-03 Hyndburn and Ribble Valley PCT 65 
			 2003-04 Hyndburn and Ribble Valley PCT 66.4 
			 2004-05 Hyndburn and Ribble Valley PCT 70 
			 2005-06 Hyndburn and Ribble Valley PCT 72 
			 2006-07 East Lancashire PCT 73.9

Maternity Services: Greater London

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost was of providing maternity services at  (a) Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup,  (b) Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Woolwich,  (c) Darenth Valley Hospital, Dartford and  (d) Princess Royal Hospital, Farnborough in 2006-07.

Ben Bradshaw: This information is not held centrally. It is the responsibility of local national health service trusts to provide maternity services. The information is therefore available from the relevant local NHS trusts.

Maternity Services: Manpower

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps are being taken to ensure that primary care trusts implement recommended nursing levels in neo-natal units.

Ben Bradshaw: The Government set out their policy for neo-natal services in the report of the Neonatal Intensive Care Services Expert Review Group, which was published in 2003. The report highlights the British Association of Perinatal Medicine standards, which recommend a qualified nursing staff to baby ratio of 1:1 for neonatal intensive care, 1:2 for high dependency care and 1:4 for special care.
	It is the responsibility of local national health service organisations to ensure that services have sufficient staff to deliver high quality and safe treatment.
	The Department has commissioned a 12-month study to improve information about local NHS staffing and service provision within paediatric and maternity services, including neo-natal services.

Medical Records: Databases

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many confirmed security breaches of databases controlled by his Department occurred in each of the last five years; whether the breach resulted from internal or external sources in each case; how many records were compromised on each occasion; and what estimate was made of the total number of records accessible to the individuals concerned.

Dawn Primarolo: There have been no confirmed cases of security breaches of any databases controlled by the Department in the last five years.

Medical Treatments: Pressure Sores

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the estimated cost of pressure sore related treatments and complications was to the NHS in each of the last five years, broken down by region; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what steps his Department has taken to ensure the timely identification and treatment of pressure sores among hospital and long-term care patients; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  how many pressure ulcer incidents have been recorded in private and public care homes in each of the last five years, broken down by authority; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: Information on the cost of pressure sore related treatments and complications is not collected.
	Essence of Care, published in 2003, sets benchmarks for pressure ulcers in health and social care settings, and helps health care professionals to devise appropriate care plans. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence has published detailed clinical guidelines on pressure ulcer management in primary and secondary care. It is the responsibility of local health bodies to ensure that this guidance is implemented.
	The number of pressure ulcer incidents in private and public care homes, broken down by local authority, is not available.

Mental Health Services

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the cost of providing cognitive behavioural therapy was to the NHS in each year since 1997;
	(2)  how many courses of cognitive behavioural therapy were provided by the NHS in each year since 1997.

Ivan Lewis: Information on the cost of providing cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) to the national health service (NHS) and on the number of courses of CBT provided by the NHS since 1997 is not collected centrally.
	On 10 October we announced our commitment to build a new psychological therapy service, including an increased provision of CBT. By 2010-11 we will have invested an additional 170 million in psychological therapies, so that by 2011 this service will help to treat 900,000 more people with depression and anxiety disorders.

National Carers Strategy: Finance

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what resources will be allocated to the National Carers Strategy.

Ivan Lewis: No decisions have been made about resources to be allocated to the National Carers Strategy. We are currently in the process of consulting with stakeholders on the review of the strategy. The resource implications of the new strategy will need to be considered as the details develop over the coming months.

National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence: Standards

Dennis Skinner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will institute a review of the effectiveness of the remit and scope of National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence investigations; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: We have no plans to conduct such a review. The Health Select Committee is currently holding an inquiry into the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) and we will respond to any recommendations in due course.
	NICE itself is currently conducting a review of its Guide to the methods of technology appraisal, which underpins the technology appraisal programme. We understand that NICE expects to commence a public consultation on its findings later in 2007.

NHS

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reasons his Department plans to put in place the new arrangements for a comprehensive regional presence referred to on page 18 of his Department's Capability Review and Development Plan, published on 12 September; which arrangements are in place to support the Departments regional presence; whether he expects to reconfigure strategic health authorities in support of the new arrangements; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 15 October 2007,  Official Report, columns 912-13W.

NHS Modernisation Agency: Operating Costs

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the annual running costs were of the NHS Modernisation Agency were in each year since its inception; how many full-time employees the Agency has; what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Agency; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: The NHS Modernisation Agency closed in 2005 as part of the review of arm's length bodies.
	In 2003-04, the annual running cost was 229 million and the headcount was 842 whole-time equivalent.
	In 2004-05, the running cost was 218 million. The headcount reduced as the year progressed.

NHS Trusts: Loans

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the presentation entitled Financial Regime, given at the Financial Management and Reporting Steering Group meeting on 23 March, to which trusts 13 loans  (a) are and  (b) were planned for 2007-08; and what the value of the loan planned is or was for each trust.

Ben Bradshaw: Cash support in the form of public dividend capital (PDC) was provided to 13 national health service trusts over the 2006-07 year end, pending the outcome of a review process in 2007-08. This process will set out the long term financing arrangements for these NHS trusts whilst maximising the level of cash support repaid to the Department.
	The 13 NHS trusts, and details of the amount of PDC that each received, are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Trust name  Value of PDC received (000) 
			 Barking, Havering and Redbridge Hospital NHS Trust 46,000 
			 Bromley Hospitals NHS Trust 87,000 
			 Good Hope Hospital NHS Trust(1) 14,000 
			 Hinchingbrooke Health Care NHS Trust 27,300 
			 Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust 77,246 
			 Queen Elizabeth Hospital NHS Trust 65,432 
			 Queen Mary's Sidcup NHS Trust 15,000 
			 Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust 56,400 
			 Royal Wolverhampton Hospital NHS Trust 21,000 
			 The Lewisham Hospital NHS Trust 13,000 
			 University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust 29,277 
			 West Middlesex University NHS Trust 17,000 
			 Weston Area Health NHS Trust 16,250 
			 Total 484,905 
			 (1 )Good Hope Hospital NHS Trust subsequently merged with Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust.

NHS Trusts: Loans

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the presentation entitled Financial Regime given at the Financial Management and Reporting Steering Group meeting on 23 March 2007, how the loans issued on 22 March 2007 are treated on the balance sheet of individual trusts.

Ben Bradshaw: National health service trusts were asked to separately identify loans from the Department in their loans note which forms part of the creditors figure in the balance sheet.

NHS: Eastern Region

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many public health workers were employed in the NHS in the East of England in each year since 1997.

Ivan Lewis: Information is not available in the format requested.

NHS: Finance

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the presentation entitled Financial Regime given at the Financial Management and Reporting Steering Group meeting on 23 March, how much was deducted from trusts in relation to the deficit incurred in 2005-06, broken down by trust; and which strategic health authorities were granted such funds, broken down by amount received.

Ben Bradshaw: The following table shows which national health service trusts had resource accounting and budgeting (RAB) reductions applied in 2006-07 and the values of these reductions. These were reversed in line with the written ministerial statement by my right hon. Friend the former Secretary of State (Ms Hewitt), on 28 March 2007,  Official Report, column 96WS.
	
		
			  RAB deductions applied to NHS trusts in 2006-07 
			  NHS trust name  RAB deductions applied to NHS trusts in 2006-07 (000) 
			 University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Trust -6,357 
			 Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust -12,304 
			 Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust -1,500 
			 Worcestershire MH Partnership NHS Trust -1,592 
			 Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Partnership NHS Trust -325 
			 Hinchingbrooke Health Care NHS Trust -8,101 
			 Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust -14,020 
			 Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust -876 
			 Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust -5,857 
			 Queen Elizabeth Hospital Kings Lynn NHS Trust -11,010 
			 Suffolk NHS Partnership NHS Trust -797 
			 West Suffolk Hospitals NHS Trust -12,027 
			 Bromley Hospitals NHS Trust -14,123 
			 North West London Hospitals NHS Trust -24,064 
			 Queen Elizabeth Hospital NHS Trust -23,420 
			 The Lewisham Hospital NHS Trust -8,758 
			 Whipps Cross University Hosp NHS Trust -15,606 
			 Ashford and St. Peter's Hospitals NHS Trust -2,560 
			 East Kent Hospitals NHS Trust -2,606 
			 East Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust -4,864 
			 Medway NHS Trust -69 
			 Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust -1,293 
			 Winchester and Eastleigh Healthcare NHS Trust -305 
			 Avon and Wiltshire MHP NHS Trust -2,789 
			 Gloucestershire Partnership NHS Trust -1,319 
			 Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust -362 
			 Royal United Hospital Bath NHS Trust -138 
			 Swindon and Marlborough NHS Trust -835 
		
	
	To allow these deductions to be reversed the centrally held NHS contingency was distributed to strategic health authorities (SHAs). The share for each SHA is set out in the following table.
	
		
			  Distribution of the centrally held NHS contingency 
			  SHA  Share of centrally held NHS contingency (000) 
			 North East 25,260 
			 North West 66,887 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 45,600 
			 East Midlands 36,489 
			 West Midlands 48,433 
			 East of England 46,022 
			 London 71,434 
			 South East Coast 35,533 
			 South Central 31,272 
			 South West 43,071 
			 England 450,000

NHS: Finance

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been allocated to public health spending in each year from 2007-08 until 2010-11.

Dawn Primarolo: The primary care trust revenue allocations for 2007-08 identified 342 million to support public health initiatives. Funding for 2008-09 and beyond has not yet been determined.

NHS: Finance

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the presentation entitled Policy Costing Overview given at the Financial Management and Reporting Steering Group meeting on 23 March, 
	(1)  what arrangements for revenue challenge existed prior to his Department's restructuring exercise;
	(2)  what arrangements for policy costing existed prior to the drafting of the Policy Costing Handbook.

Ben Bradshaw: Policy branches typically work with analytical support staff to cost the impact of their policy developments. The Policy Costing Handbook brought together good practice that already existed within the Department, codifying it and presenting it in as a step-by-step process. Before it was issued some policy documents contained guidance on costing; for example, Policy Appraisal and Health, amended November 2004, contained a section on how to quantify resource costs and cost data sources.
	Prior to the Department's restructuring exercise, the sign-off by the finance director for all policies with significant financial implications had not been formally required. However finance in the majority of cases was typically consulted on revenue implications of policies, but did not have a dedicated team to scrutinise the costs.
	The majority of policy proposals are included in the Department's comprehensive spending review bids, typically every three years. The proposals are assessed and costs are examined in finance by a team of staff that compile the bid.

NHS: Finance

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the presentation entitled Policy Costing Overview given at the Financial Management and Reporting Steering Group meeting on 23rd March, 
	(1)  what other needs were identified as part of his Department's restructuring exercise aside from the need for a Revenue Challenge Function;
	(2)  on what date the restructuring of his Department took effect.

Ben Bradshaw: There were seven challenges identified as part of the Department's restructuring exercise given at the presentation to the Financial Management and Reporting Steering Group meeting on 23 March 2007. These are:
	Transition to a commissioning-led structure; strengthen integrated policy development; enhance the challenge role of finance; higher profile for social care and strengthen key departmental management functions, including policy co-ordination and planning; create a single integrated board to lead the Department and further increase the level of collaboration between the board and the Secretary of State and Ministers.
	On 20 January 2006, Nigel Crisp, the then NHS chief executive and permanent secretary for the Department, announced the transitional arrangements being brought in to manage change.

NHS: Finance

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  when the national weighted capitation formula was last changed; and whether he plans to make alterations to it;
	(2)  whether he plans to adjust the market forces factor;
	(3)  what progress he has made in the review of the market forces factor;
	(4)  when his Department plans to  (a) produce a report on and  (b) publish findings of its review of the impact of the market forces factor on the funding levels of local health trusts.

Ben Bradshaw: The development of the weighted capitation formula is continually overseen by the Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation (ACRA). The formula was last updated prior to the 2006-07 and 2007-08 revenue allocations to primary care trusts (PCTs).
	ACRA is currently reviewing the formula in support of the revenue allocations to PCTs post 2007-08. This review covers the market forces factor and the need elements of the formula, and also the population base.
	ACRA's work is ongoing, but once it is complete, ACRA will make recommendations to Ministers on proposed formula changes. Ministers will need to give due consideration to any proposed changes to the formula, as recommended by ACRA.
	The date for announcing revenue allocations to PCT post 2007-08 has not yet been determined. Documentation supporting the announcement, which will include the impact of any formula changes, will be published as soon as practically possible after the announcement has been made.

NHS: Finance

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 3 September 2007,  Official Report, column 1878W, on NHS: finance, for what reason the allocation of resources to primary care trusts was not revised.

Ben Bradshaw: Allocations to primary care trusts (PCTs) were set for three years from 2003-04 to 2005-06 in December 2002, and for a further two years in February 2005 covering 2006-07 and 2007-08. Our policy is that we do not revise PCT allocations once they are set, because giving PCTs certainty enables better local planning.

NHS: Procurement

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what improvements in procurement practices in the NHS his Department plans to make in order to achieve savings of 1 billion a year by 2011.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department is currently finalising delivery plans for improved efficiency to meet the requirements of the comprehensive spending review 2007 (CSR07). A value for money delivery agreement is due to be published in December following agreement with the Treasury. The Commercial Directorate is working closely with the Office of Government Commerce (OGC), the national health service Purchasing and Supply Agency (NHS PASA) and the NHS procurement community to identify specific initiatives. All the work referred to above will help meet the 1 billion savings target in 2011.
	Over the last three years significant improvements have been established in NHS procurement practices. These include the establishment of Collaborative Procurement Hubs, the introduction of eProcurement technologies and leading edge procurement practices within NHS PASA. The OGC Procurement Capability Review planned for March 2008 will assist in reviewing, with the Department, capacity, capability and current practices, thereby ensuring preparedness for delivery of efficiencies under CSR07.

NHS: Public Expenditure

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his Department's total expenditure on managing the NHS identity, as explained on the website www.nhsidentity.nhs.uk, was in 2006-07.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department spent 248,181 on managing the national health service identity in 2006-07.
	I regret that the information given to the hon. Member in a written answer on 11 December 2006,  Official Report, column 562W, was incorrect. The correct figure for 2002-03 is 168,540.

NHS: Working Hours

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 12 September 2007,  Official Report, column 2082W, on the NHS: working hours, if he will place in the Library the information received by the Department on the national workforce projects and pilot schemes which are being conducted to judge the NHS's readiness for implementation of the European Working Time Directive.

Ann Keen: There are a number of pilot projects under way that are being supported by National Workforce Projects. These are the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health and Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, Children's and Maternity Services in 2009; Milton Keynes General NHS Trust; 3 x 9 Hour Shift Pattern, Redesigning Traditional Junior Doctor Rotas; Paediatric Solutions; Co-operative Solutions; Taking Care 24:7; Team Working; Handover and Escalation; and IT Solutions. The information requested consists of a large number of documents and these have been made available to the hon. Member. They are also available on the National Workforce Project website at:
	www.healthcareworkforce.nhs.uk/pilotprojects.html

Nurses: Manpower

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) full-time equivalent and  (b) headcount (i) district nurses and (ii) midwives were employed by the NHS in each year since 1997; and what steps he is taking to increase the number employed by the NHS in each case.

Ben Bradshaw: The number of full-time equivalent (FTE) as well as headcount district nurses and midwives since 1997 is shown in the table.
	Workforce planning is a matter for local determination as local workforce planners are best placed to asses the midwifery and district nurse needs of their local population. The department continues to ensure the frameworks are in place to enable effective local workforce planning.
	
		
			  England 
			   1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006( 1) 
			 Midwives (headcount) 22,385 22,841 22,799 22,572 23,075 23,249 23,941 24,844 24,808 24,469 
			 Midwives (FTE) 18,053 18,168 17,876 17,662 18,048 18,119 18,444 18,854 18,949 18,862 
			 District Nurses (headcount) 14,150 14,260 14,258 14,452 13,510 13,393 13,292 12,827 12,067 11,270 
			 District Nurses (FTE) 11,336 11,432 11,384 11,320 10,734 10,639 10,496 10,000 9,706 9,180 
			 (1) More accurate validation processes in 2006 have resulted in the identification and removal of 9,858 duplicate non-medical staff records out of the total workforce figure of 1.3 million in 2006. Earlier years' figures could not be accurately validated in this way and so will be slightly inflated. The level of inflation in earlier years' figures is estimated to be less than 1 per cent. of total across all non-medical staff groups for headcount figures (and negligible for full time equivalents). This should be taken into consideration when analysing trends.   Source:  Department of Health Non-Medical Workforce Census.

Nurses: Rheumatology

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many specialist nurses were employed in  (a) rheumatology and  (b) diabetes in each year since 2001.

Ann Keen: This information is not collected centrally.
	The annual national health service workforce census does not separately identify rheumatology and diabetes specialist nurses from the rest of the nursing workforce.
	The Information Centre are working with NHS organisations and other stakeholders to improve data quality, allowing for more detailed information in specific areas of work, including diabetes and rheumatology.

Obesity

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how his Department measures obesity; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: Obesity in adults is defined using Body Mass Index (BMI). It involves comparing weight to height by dividing the weight measurement, expressed in kilograms, by the square of the height, expressed in meters. Obesity is defined as a BMI greater or equal to 30.
	In children defining obesity is more difficult because they are growing, and so both their height and weight change at the same time. In children, standard United Kingdom reference charts for weight relative to height are used which are age and gender specific.
	 Note:
	BMI is the internationally recognised standard for identifying overweight and obesity.

Paediatrics

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) paediatric beds and  (b) paediatric wards there were in each primary care trust area in the East of England in each year since 1997.

Ann Keen: Information is not available in the format requested. However, the following table shows the average daily number of available paediatric beds in wards open overnight for national health service trusts in the East of England between 1996-97 and 2006-07.
	
		
			  Table 1: average daily number of available paediatric beds in wards open overnight for NHS Trusts in the East of England between 1996-97 and 2006-07 
			  Organisation  1996-97  1997-98  1998-99  1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 51 51 48 52 54 56 56 56 56 56 56 
			 Bedford Hospital NHS Trust 49 49 49 49 49 49 49 49 49 54 42 
			 Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 88 88 101 95 108 94 81 81 80 87 87 
			 East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust 56 72 64 64 64 59 56 
			 East Hertfordshire NHS Trust 32 34 32 31
			 North Hertfordshire NHS Trust 38 33 46 33
			 Essex Rivers Healthcare NHS Trust 64 39 39 36 32 52 93 66 50 50 50 
			 Hinchingbrooke Healthcare NHS Trust 33 33 33 33 33 33 3 2 2 2 2 
			 Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust 46 62 60 60 52 53 49 53 53 53 58 
			 James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 41 41 41 41 41 41 40 38 38 38 38 
			 Luton and Dunstable Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 70 70 71 70 73 65 65 66 68 66 68 
			 Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust 66 61 60 60 62 74 74 64 67 61 61 
			 Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital NHS Trust 64 61 61 62 62 61 59 63 60 59 62 
			 Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 62 57 57 54 55 54 56 57 55 45 43 
			 Southend University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 50 50 50 50 46 38 39 38 41 40 41 
			 The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust 12 7 8 7 42 40 41 37 33 32 32 
			 The Queen Elizabeth Hospital King's Lynn NHS Trust 51 38 37 38 36 36 37 38 40 38 34 
			 West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust 0 0 0 0 53 70 47 
			 Mount Vernon and Watford Hospitals NHS Trust 68 64 64 0
			 St. Albans and Hemel Hempstead NHS Trust 43 39 37 0
			 West Suffolk Hospitals NHS Trust 36 36 38 37 38 38 38 36 37 32 32 
			  Notes: 1. Ward Classifications. Paediatric beds comprise: Intensive Care (neonates); Intensive Care (paediatrics) and; Other General and Acute (neonates and children). 2. NHS Trust mergers: In 2000-01, East Hertfordshire NHS Trust and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust merged to form East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust. Present trust names used onlyfor all trust name changes, see following. In 2000-01, Mount Vernon and Watford Hospitals NHS Trust and St. Albans and Hemel Hempstead NHS Trust merged to form West Hertfordshire NHS Trust. 3. Name changes: Basildon and Thurrock General Hospitals NHS Trust (1997-982001-02), Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Trust (2002-032004-05), Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (2005-06present) Addenbrookes NHS Trust (1996-972004-05), Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (2005-06present) James Paget Healthcare NHS Trust (1996-972004-05), James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (2005-06present) Luton and Dunstable Hospital NHS Trust (1996-972004-05), Luton and Dunstable Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (2005-06present) Mid Essex Hospitals NHS Trust (1996-972001-02), Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust (2002-03present) Norfolk and Norwich Health Care NHS Trust (1996-972000-01), Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital NHS Trust (2001-02present) Papworth Hospital NHS Trust (1996-972004-05), Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (2005-06present) Peterborough Hospitals NHS Trust (1996-972004-05), Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (2005-06present) Southend Health Care NHS Trust (1996-972001-02), Southend Hospital NHS Trust (2002-032004-05), Southend University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (2005-06present)  Source: Department of Health form KH03

Palliative Care

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he plans to publish the end of life care strategy.

Ivan Lewis: To support and complement the development of the Next Stage Review, we have deferred publication of the End of Life Care (EOLC) Strategy until the summer.
	We have shared the emerging findings from the EOLC Strategy with strategic health authorities, which have been asked to develop local strategic visions for end of life care, to be completed in the New Year, to inform the Next Stage Review. We will then take account of this local work in the development of the national EOLC Strategy.

Palliative Care: Children

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he plans to publish his Department's response to the independent review of children's palliative care services; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: We are developing a national strategy for children's palliative care and will endeavour to cover as many as possible of the report's recommendations in this work. We aim to have the strategy ready by the end of the year.
	It is, however, essential that we align as much of this work as possible with the work arising from the conclusions contained in the parallel HM Treasury/Department for Children, Schools and Families reviewAiming High for Disabled Children. The two reviews offer an important opportunity to advance the agenda for these very vulnerable children and that is why we are taking them forward together.

Patients: Allergies

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department has taken to reduce difficulties experienced by patients who are allergic to latex gloves.

Ann Keen: On 26 May 2005 the National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) issued to all national health service organisations in England and Wales, via their safety alert broadcast system, the guidance Protecting People with Allergy Associated with Latex, which recommended that a comprehensive working policy on the use and purchasing of latex products be developed.
	The policy should include measures to:
	substitute, control or eliminate latex where appropriate and possible;
	ensure staff are aware of, and have access to, safe and effective latex-free alternatives;
	identify and protect sensitised patients; and
	raise awareness about latex sensitivity among patients and staff.
	They further recommended that this policy should be backed up by efficient management arrangements, and the policies audited and reviewed to check compliance. A deadline of January 2006 was given for all these actions to be completed.
	In addition, a website-based toolkit has been developed by the Health and Safety Executive, in partnership with the Department, the NPSA, the Latex Allergy Support Group, the National Association of Theatre Nurses, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, the healthcare industry and other relevant bodies. This toolkit includes example policies and materials to help local NHS organisations raise awareness of latex allergy with both staff and patients.

Patients: Leeds

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his latest estimate is of the average cost per week of  (a) keeping a person in hospital and  (b) keeping a person in a nursing home in Leeds.

Ann Keen: Accurate information on the average cost per week for hospital inpatient treatment is not available. However, the average gross total cost per week in 2005-06 for supporting an adult (aged 18 and over) in nursing care in Leeds was 718.
	 Source: Information Centre for health and social care.

Publications: Expenditure

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost to the public purse was of the guide to healthy communities published in  The Times on 16 October.

Dawn Primarolo: The Improvement and Development Agency for local government placed the supplement on healthy communities in  The Times on 16 October. The cost to the Agency was 20,000.

Rose Gibb

Michael Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Health who recommended Rose Gibb, the former Chief Executive of Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust, for the post of Chief Executive at Pennine Acute Trust in February.

Ann Keen: The employment of staff, clinicians and managers within the national health service is a matter for local NHS Boards.

Small Change, Big Difference Campaign

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 11 January 2007,  Official Report, column 700W, on the Small Change, Big Difference campaign, what the expenditure on the campaign has been since April 2006, broken down by major item of expenditure.

Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 19 February 2007,  Official Report, column 63W.
	In June 2007, we also published 'Partnerships for Better Health, Small Change, Big Difference: healthier choices for life' a series of case studies highlighting partnership working and the lessons derived from them in support of the Small Change, Big Difference initiative.
	A total of 38,767 has been spent on the costs associated with the publication of the Partnerships for 'Better Health, Small Change, Big Difference: healthier choices for life' report.
	This brings the total spend for Small Change Big Difference to 52,103 since April 2006.

Smoking: Publicity

Roger Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost to the public purse was of preparing and distributing his Department's package of information on the smoking ban sent to private individuals and businesses after the ban came into effect.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department has not prepared or distributed any packages of information to individuals or businesses on smokefree legislation since the law commenced on 1 July 2007.

Smoking: Publicity

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his Department's budget is for mass media anti-smoking campaigns in the 2007-08 financial year; and what the budget will be in each of the financial years to 2011-12.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department's campaign advertising budget for smoking campaigns for 2007-08 financial year is 11.39 million. This figure does not include campaign advertising expenditure to support the introduction of smokefree legislation or the increase of the age of sale of tobacco products this year.
	Figures for spend for each of the financial years to 2011-12 cannot be provided at this stage as budgets have not been finalised.

Speaking for Yourself Programme: Finance

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department has allocated funds for the Speaking For Yourself programme for  (a) 2007-08,  (b) 2008-09 and  (c) 2009-10; and what plans he has for future funding for this programme.

Ivan Lewis: We have not allocated any funds to this programme and we do not have any plans for future funding. The Prime Minister announced in September 2007, that the hon. Member for Buckingham (John Bercow), will be leading a review of services for children and young people with speech, language and communication needs. The Bercow Review will be supported by officials from the Department for Children, Schools and Families and also from the Department of Health.

Strokes: Health Services

John MacDougall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to improve stroke services in the NHS.

Ann Keen: Between 1996-97 and 2007-08, spending on the NHS has increased from 33 billion to just over 90 billion, representing an average annual increase in real terms of 6 per cent. The improvements seen in stroke services have undoubtedly benefited from these increases over the last 10 years.
	The National Service Framework (NSF) for long-term conditions was published in 2004 to improve the quality of life and independence for people with long-term neurological conditions. It set out general guidelines for a range of conditions, including stroke, to establish faster diagnosis, more rapid treatment and a comprehensive package of care based around individual patient needs.
	Prior to this the NSF for Older People, published in 2001, included a chapter on stroke services. It set out a range of measures to reduce the incidence of stroke and improve stroke treatment, which have led to a widespread development of services: the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) shows that all trusts caring for people who have had a stroke now have a specialist stroke service and 97 per cent. of hospitals in England now have a stroke unit; these were uncommon a decade ago. The audit also shows that in 2006, around two thirds of stroke patients were treated on a stroke unit. This is a significant improvement since 2004 when the figure was less than half. Length of stay in hospital for stroke patients is falling from 34 days in 2001 to 28 days in 2004. The results of the RCP audit also show that the proportion of trusts with a stroke unit meeting five or six of the audit's criteria has increased from 33 per cent. to 41 per cent. between 2004 and 2006.
	Stroke mortality is falling. For people under 65, the three year average death rate from stroke has fallen by 23 per cent. over the period from 1993-95 to 2002-04. For people aged 65-75 the death rate has dropped by 30 per cent. over the same period. We have made greater progress in reducing premature deaths from coronary heart disease than from stroke. This is because we have begun by focusing on coronary heart disease, the biggest killer in the country. However, because of the significant progress we have made in this area we are now able to redouble our efforts in addressing the challenge of stroke. This is why the Department launched a stroke strategy document for consultation on 9 July 2007. It followed an 18-month programme of work, setting out the views of six expert working groups who represented a wide range of key stakeholders. The strategy aims to accelerate the emergency response to stroke, by setting out a framework for care of stroke patients, and raising awareness about stroke symptoms and risk factors. It is due for publication by the end of 2007.
	In addition to developing the strategy, in 2006 the Department published 'Mending hearts and brains', a report by Professor Roger Boyle, the National Director for Heart and Stroke. The report makes the clinical case for reconfiguring stroke services. In particular, it emphasises the need to treat stroke as an emergency, including the delivery of thrombolysis at specialist centres and a possible 'hub and spoke' model for stroke services.
	Last year the Department also launched ASSET (Action on stroke services: an evaluation toolkit) to help health care providers compare their performance with others. It considers four aspects of acute treatment setting out how these mean fewer people experiencing death or disability, and more efficient hospital services with people able to return home faster. An additional version, ASSET 2, for commissioners has also been introduced which uses analytical modelling to advise hospitals and primary care trusts of what the impact of making specific changes to their services would be. We have also published a guide for commissioners, setting out key questions they need to consider and a series of best practice case studies.
	As well as helping to improve existing stroke services, the Department is investing 20 million over five years (2005-10) into the development of the UK Stroke Research Network.

Tobacco: Children

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what plans his Department has to restrict children's access to tobacco products through cigarette vending machines;
	(2)  what research his Department has undertaken on the relationship between levels of uptake of smoking amongst under 18 year olds and the availability and accessibility of tobacco vending machines.

Dawn Primarolo: It is illegal for tobacco products to be sold to young people under 18 from vending machines, and the code produced by the National Association of Cigarette Machine Operators states that machines should be sited and monitored in supervised areas so that staff can be sure of preventing their use by those under 18.
	Local trading standards departments will continue to monitor vending machine sales along with all retail points on compliance with the minimum age of sale.
	The Department has not undertaken specific research between the levels of smoking among under 18-year-olds and the availability and accessibility of tobacco vending machines, but relies on the annual Smoking Drinking And Drug Use among Young People survey and on reports from trading standards departments.
	A copy of Smoking Drinking And Drug Use among Young People 2006 has been placed in the Library.

Training: Finance

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the last audit of the use of multi-professional education and training funding was published; and when he expects the next one.

Ann Keen: The use of the multi-professional education and training money is monitored through strategic health authority quarterly performance monitoring reports to the Department, which are not published. The last reports were received in May 2007 for the 2006-07 financial year. Returns for the period April to September 2007 are in the process of being collected.

Wirral Primary Care Trust: Personal Care Services, Chiropody

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the availability of nail cutting services in Wirral Primary Care Trust; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many patients received chiropody treatment in Wirral in  (a) 2006,  (b) 2001 and  (c) 1998.

Ivan Lewis: holding answer 25 October 2007
	 I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 27 March 2007,  Official Re port , column 1191W.
	The NHS North West Strategic Health Authority reports that chiropody provision in Eastham has been relocated to the Treetops Surgery in Bromborough, and the capacity in Parkfield Medical Centre has been doubled in the new premises. From October 2007, the eligibility criteria for treatment in the former Bebington and West Wirral PCT area have been extended to include more vulnerable and elderly patients which has resulted in additional investment. This includes the recruitment of an additional podiatry post which has been funded and created to facilitate this and the Wirral Primary Care Trust is currently actively recruiting to this post. No chiropody clinics in the Wirral Primary Care Trust have closed within the last five years.
	Accurate information on the number of patients receiving chiropody treatment in the years requested is not available.

Young People: Mental Health Services

Helen Southworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidelines his Department has issued in relation to provision of child and adolescent mental health services, with particular reference to  (a) 24 hour emergency access to services and  (b) the emergency provision of a place of safety for young persons under the age of 16.

Ivan Lewis: The Department's vision for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) was set out in the National Service Framework for Children, Young People and Maternity, published in 2004.
	The Department has a Public Service Agreement (PSA) Standard to ensure that CAMHS are available to all children and young people who need them. Achievement of the standard is measured by the attainment of three proxy targets, one of which is the commissioning by primary care trusts (PCTs) of twenty-four hour, emergency CAMHS assessment. The latest information, which relates to June 2007, shows that approximately 99 per cent. of PCTs are commissioning this element of service, and it is expected that coverage will be universal by the end of 2007.
	In June 2007, the Department wrote to Chief Executives of Strategic Health Authorities (SHAs) to give advice on the use of adult psychiatric wards for children under 16 years of age. The letter advised that, in the exceptional case where a child of 16 or under is placed on an adult psychiatric ward, SHAs should use the Serious Untoward Incident protocol to notify the Department, setting out how the child will be moved to appropriate accommodation within 48 hours and how the ward and staffing have been made appropriate for the child's needs.